


Time-Lost

by Bravehardt, Foxglove_Fiction



Series: Time-Lost [1]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Don't copy to another site, Dreamscapes, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Illustrations, Implied Sexual Content, Internalized Homophobia, IronStrange, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reincarnation, Slow Burn, Survivor Guilt, The Cloak Ships It, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-01-06 12:36:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 170,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18388598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bravehardt/pseuds/Bravehardt, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxglove_Fiction/pseuds/Foxglove_Fiction
Summary: Reoccurring nightmares kept Tony up at night; dreams of those closest to him dying over and over again in an endless cycle - haunting him and depriving him of sleep. Reaching his breaking point, Tony consults Stephen to help rid himself of these nightmares.It seems as though Stephen might be closer to Tony than he initially thought - or hoped and the barriers between patient and doctor relationship are starting to blur.  Neither of them could have predicted that some of the dreams they have both been subject to are more than simple dreams but possibly fragments of memories from a life long passed.





	1. The Cardinal

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [Time-Lost](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19344244) by [3enjoycultivation3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3enjoycultivation3/pseuds/3enjoycultivation3)
  * Translation into 中文 available: [Time-Lost](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19344244) by [3enjoycultivation3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3enjoycultivation3/pseuds/3enjoycultivation3)



 

Under any other circumstance Tony’s exploits would have led him to a solution that meant _not making the call_ he was moments away from executing. At this point however, sleepless nights, fatigue, nightmares and exhaustion gave way to desperation and Tony was finding everything but a reason to turn away from this one explication for such a major, overarching problem.

To say that the engineer hadn’t been scarred from _the decimation_ of half an entire universe would be an understatement.

Although the fine pieces that were once set astray from a shattered universe were slowly becoming whole once again. That didn’t necessarily detract from the emotional, unquantifiable toll that had been taken to begin with.

Tony had already been a damaged man, destroyed and made whole several times over. There was only a finite shrivel of sanity left within him and even that was tested and chipped away at on a daily basis as threats of a greater power - greater than Thanos himself - haunted like lingering apparitions on the mind during the day, and clawed at his being in the form of nightmares during _now_ sleepless hours.

He’d seen several shrinks, consolidated with friends and family but with everything compiled  - it proved no use to settle an overactive, restless mind.

Part of his vexations circumvented the ultimate loss and redemption of fallen comrades. To see half the entire known and unknown universe wiped away with the literal snap of the fingers left one shaken to their core.

The loss of one so young, Peter, the threat of losing his loved one, Pepper, and ultimately at the time even comrades, Quill, Rhodey… and Strange.

And who knew better what Tony would have been going through than the good Doctor himself? Which was why Tony was about to do something he wouldn’t have expected.

Driven to the nth degree of his very own lucidity he pulled up his contacts and dialed up one Stephen Strange in hopes to set himself on the path to recovery.

He needed a consultation, both professionally and unprofessionally his pride be damned.

Tony’s stomach almost jumped out of his chest as Stephen answered the phone after a few dormant rings.

One, he imagined it went off, two, he imagined Stephen fumbling for the phone, three - still fumbling and on the fourth he’d answered.

Tony was relieved yet anxious when he did pick up.

"Good afternoon, Stark." The voice on the other end was as cool and casual as ever when the doctor answered. It sounded as though Stephen was in good spirits, though as a business man it was hard for Tony to miss the slightly concerned lilt to his tone - no doubt expecting to be needed for some crisis or magical phenomenon. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

“Hey-uh doc? I know this is going to be taken the wrong way but I was wondering if I could... ask for your help with something.” He paused, blinking as his insecurities swelled and his own shaking while grasping the phone had gone unnoticed to himself.

“Can I come over, or you come over, so we talk about something?” Tony picked his words carefully.

"Is it an emergency, or will you be available in an hour? I'm in the middle of something a little bit time sensitive, but not so important that I can't put it aside if you require my assistance sooner." There was a brief pause and a soft noise from the other end before Stephen spoke again.

"Or you can come by. It's nothing that would stop me from speaking with you if this is just a consultation thing."

Tony frowned, wondering what the noise could have possibly been - but knowing the wizard? _Anything really._

“It is and it isn’t, but that would be great. Thanks doc, I’ll be around in about 10 minutes.”

"I'll see you shortly, then. Fly safely." There was a hint of amusement to Stephen's tone when he spoke, but it didn't linger as the line went dead.

Tony ended the call and tucked his phone away, leaving immediately.

 

* * *

 

With the thus far unrivaled speed of his nanosuit he’d landed not seven minutes later. No time was wasted dawdling on the stoop of the Sanctum as a couple raps on the hefty doors heralded the brunette’s arrival.

The door to the Sanctum, as it tended to when a guest was expected, slowly opened itself and the sorcerer beyond the threshold paused in what might've been pacing to look towards Tony as he entered, offering an acknowledging nod to the man.

In one hand held an open book he seemed to be studying, in the other it was harder to tell what he held - whatever it was he was shaking it rather pointedly.

"You made good time, Stark. Can I offer you something to drink?" Stephen offered in greeting.

The cloak seemed to have responded to his name, appearing quickly from out of sight to dance enthusiastically before the mogul, ushering him inside with an air of excitement.

Tony’s suit receded back into its housing as he stepped inside. If he were more energetic and ready for a good verbal joust, pointing out Stephen’s odd disposition or making some wisecrack Harry Potter comment would have been item one on the agenda.

But unlike his normal, professional and flaunted demeanor the suit had shrank back to reveal a tested, worn and ragged husk of a man. Tony didn’t look like he got a decent night’s sleep in days.

“Yeah, yeah… Uh, coffee? Black.” He looked like he needed rest, not liquid wakefulness. “Thanks for giving me the time of day Doc, I’m kind of at my rope’s end here...”

"You don't look well." Apparently the sorcerer was in the mood for pointing out the obvious, though he closed the book with a soft snap and it floated itself to a place on the table.

Stepping closer and shooing at the energetic cloak, Stephen gave Tony an appraising once over before summoning a cup of coffee and setting it on one of the side tables in the sitting room. His brows furrowed briefly in his examination before he turned away and gestured to the chair beside the coffee.

"Please. Make yourself comfortable. What can I do for you?"

Tony’s eyes were drawn to the ornate book as it was settled on the table, curiously. He shook his head, realizing he’d spaced out and took the sorcerer up on his offer, plopping himself down on the offered seat.

“Recently I’ve been having some anxieties, nightmares - recurring...” He started, reaching for the mug and folding his hands around it. Some of the tension seemed to ease when he started to talk, whether it was just being in the sorcerer’s presence, the coffee, or the talking in general, who knew?

“I’ve had these since the Chitauri invasion on New York - that army Thanos sent years ago with Loki.” Tony took a sip and set the mug back down on the side table folding his hands.

“Thanos is dead, so I thought they would go away but lately it’s all compounded and gotten worse. I’ve seen a bunch of different shrinks about this, none have been able to help. The things I saw back on Titan, _everything,_ is still burned into my mind - and what’s worse, I have haunting thoughts about a bigger threat out there.” He paused for a moment.

“You used to be a working medical professional - but above all, you know what I went through, you saw everything and more. I’m out of options Strange and I have no idea what to do about this but I figured if I could talk to anyone about this, it would be you.” Tony’s gaze was fixed on Stephen, as intense as it could be in his state. “I’m not here to gab on your shoulder - for free at least. I want to hire you if that’s within your field of work still.”

The taller man slunk into a chair, watching Tony thoughtfully as he explained, his expression curious and pensive as Stephen hummed softly to himself.

"It's not _generally_ good practice to have someone who's familiar with you help with those kinds of things, and it was _very_ rare that I spoke with anyone as their therapist..." He didn't seem as though he was speaking to Tony so much as thinking out loud, but it was clear that his words weren't a _no._

"As a _sorcerer_ I do know a couple of fairly effective sleeping spells if it's simply a matter of a lack of rest. Nightmares are more challenging to deal with and I'm not much of a fan of dreamwalking, but given your state I... could probably manage."

As still as the rest of the sorcerer was, his hand continued to shake the vial he held as he observed the mogul.

"Or are you really asking me as a Doctor?"

Tony remained fixated on Stephen, there was no part of him that came off like he was making any of this up or joking. He sat on the edge of his seat, seeded in Stephen’s words, hopeful.

He simply nodded in response.

“Yeah. I’m… Going to be honest, not a fan of the idea of having someone in my head, I don’t do all that mind-mumbo-jumbo. But all things considered I’m willing to try it out.”

Giving a nod of acknowledgement, Stephen sighed softly and leaned back into his seat. "As a doctor I have to warn you that taking on someone you're familiar with _and_ who has experienced some of these events as a therapist is highly inadvisable. But I expect you knew that already and found yourself here regardless..."

The sorcerer continued to look ruminative as he stood again, ceasing his shaking of the vial and making his way over to what might have been the magical equivalent of a chemistry set, removing the plug from whatever the vial was and pouring it into another decanter before taking up his seat in front of Tony again.

"As both a doctor _and_ a sorcerer, it only seems right that you know alleviating some of the _symptoms_ is not the same as curing an underlying issue. Regardless of getting you some sleep and warding off the nightmares for a while, magic isn't a permanent solution. But it would at least get you to a better place to tackle whatever those underlying issues might be."

Tony’s eyes simply trained on Stephen and the vial of unknown substance he’d procured as he milled around in front of him.

It was beyond him why he hadn’t felt the usual shred of shame when confiding for help - especially in someone who was his theoretical, _preconceived_ rival.

“I’m well aware of that Strange, I’ve seen sleep specialists - and you know me, I normally don’t care or need much of that. Several shrinks - and trust me, I also don’t open up to people either…” He trailed off, grabbing the mug once again.

“I’m aware of the risks, but for my health and sanity I’m willing to bend the rules and be a little unconventional if you’re willing to permit that. I’ll compensate you generously, even for this consultation alone...” Tony’s words even sounded desperate at this point.

“... I’m begg’n ya doc.”

"Well there's no need to _beg._ But if you insist." There was a hint of mirth to the man's face as he spoke, giving a small shrug. "I'm not going to turn you away if you need my help, Stark. Particularly not on a matter like this. The world is much better off when that mind of yours is in a healthy state, and I _am_ a specialist when it comes to brain health. Though, not typically in this field."

Leaning back in his seat and looking rather more regal in the process, Stephen smiled. "When would you like to start?"

Some anxieties had been alleviated from Tony’s shoulders as Stephen finally called his verdict on the matter.

Normally the amused hint would have been taken with ill-intent from the engineer - but normally, he didn’t reduce himself to begging, it was not like him. Lately he wasn’t acting like himself anyway, and this in turn would set him on the path to recovery.

He was surprised by Stephen’s compliance nevertheless and couldn’t help but flash a weak smile in response. It was somewhat humbling with the words the sorcerer offered; they warmed him, and even in this moment dare he say he felt relaxed…?

“Well, as soon as you honestly could preferably. Are you free tomorrow?”

"I have time _now_ if you'd like," Stephen offered, gesturing to the stairs. "Certainly enough time to get you put to sleep and see about picking at some of these nightmares, though if you'd prefer to keep sleeping to a distinctly night-time schedule I can work with that. If you're busy today, I _am_ free tomorrow and can make the time for you if you'd prefer."

Tony was surprised. He thought soon would mean tomorrow, not now - but there were no complaints. Sleep sounded great when his rest wasn’t riddled with nightmares. If Stephen could honestly do that for him he would have absolutely no reservations.

He did trust the doctor with his own life, there were no reasons to doubt him, especially now that he’d be on his payroll.

Drawing himself to his feet, the doctor slipped closer to Tony for a moment, crouching in front of him for a moment and examining his face rather thoughtfully. "When was the last time you recall having a full night's rest?"

While he was busy chewing through his thoughts like a mindless zombie he hadn’t even noticed the doctor reposition himself to crouch right in front of him before flinching suddenly and blinking a few times out of surprise.

“ **Now** , now sounds good.” He stuttered almost throwing himself into the back of the chair. “Sleep is beyond me at this point, I honestly can’t remember when I last had a full night of rest.

"You look like the walking dead." The sorcerer admitted, his brows knitting together slightly before he pushed himself to his feet and offered Tony a hand.

"If I'd known this was about sleep deprivation I would had suggested _not_ drinking coffee, but luckily magic doesn't care about caffeine. Let's get you to a spare bedroom and comfortable, shall we? Luckily we have plenty around to help with sleep... do you have any particular aversion to scents? Any strong allergies to floral scents or anything like that?"

Tony set the mug down and without another thought placed his hand in Stephen’s. The hand was warm in the brisk atmosphere of the Sanctum. He folded his fingers around the magus’ palm and stood, feeling the mild shakes resonate through his own.

_Huh,_ he was holding Stephen’s hand. _How about that._

“I’ve drunk so much coffee it probably doesn’t even do anything to me.  No aversion to scents though, no allergies.” He murmured relaxing some. “Sleep sounds nice…”

And now he was walking with Stephen, _still holding Stephen’s hand, going to a bedroom._

Tony’s waking mind would have questions of intrigue and comments galore about this were he more lucid. Instead he simply nodded complaisantly and let the sorcerer guide his groggy person to said guest room.

"Good." Whether Stephen spoke more quietly, or his voice simply sounded quieter in Tony's sleepy state it was hard to say, but a door creaked open and soon enough Stephen had released his hand to sift through the large Chinese apothecary cabinets to one side of the room, pulling out a few things.

Besides the cabinets, there was a large four-poster bed settled in the middle of the room with a bedside table on either side and a large trunk at the end of the bed. The room was warm and comforting in it's colours, but slightly cool in temperature and currently only lit lowly - presumably the thick curtain on the wall was blocking out light from outside, leaving only the antique-looking chandelier in the room to light it.

"If you need sleeping clothes there are clean ones in the trunk." The doctor mentioned, his tone making it clear the words were a _suggestion_ but not mandatory as he mixed a couple of the things he'd pulled out together into different containers before spritzing the pillows with one of the concoctions. "I'll need to gather a couple of things that aren't in the room, so you'll have time to change in private if you wish."

Tony wordlessly nodded as Stephen left the room to quickly fetch what he needed, switching into the suggested attire.

Normally, he’d vouch for sleeping in the nude or in his boxers - but that wouldn’t fly here for obvious reasons he didn’t need to disclose.

Besides, the Sanctum smelled nice. It smelled like Stephen and so did the baggy but surprisingly comfortable sleep-wear he was loaned. In some way it was inexplicable how oddly relaxing it all was.

The engineer took a seat on the lip of the bed and only now really paid attention to his surroundings, which were also very calming and unlike the usual energetic and stimulating palettes back at the compound.

He took in the earthy tones, the warm sheets of light that snuck in through the folds of the closed curtains and all the other rich tapestry of the room. He blinked his sore, tired eyes as he waited.

When Stephen returned he carried an ornate censer that he hung from one of the posts fixed along the top of the bed, leaving a steady and disconcerting amount of smoke to billow from it - clearly the Sanctum had no smoke detectors, or they'd be going absolutely crazy.

The scents that seemed to ooze from the censer were dynamic but soothing and nicely complemented the light hint of witch hazel that the sorcerer had sprayed on the pillows; lavender was easy enough to pick out of the mix, along with what might have been bergamot and sandalwood, but whatever else was in the mix was unidentifiable but floral.

The man seemed pleased that Tony had changed based on his approving smile before he offered a hand to his charge. "Your wrists, please."

Submissively, Tony extended his wrists out in front of them, resigning himself. _Oh, the myriad of comments he would have had - so many lost opportunities here._

Things simply felt so surreal.

If he really laid back to look at his situation he’d understand he was here, sitting in pajamas while watching a heavy bronze metal censer sway above him like some sort of pendulum. Light plumes of smoke billowing from the small bores in it’s top-half.

It’s scent, pleasant and alluring. Strange, standing before him - _smiling._

An unfamiliar concept to him indeed. This situation would be more akin to a dream he once had, or rather - didn’t.

Gently taking one hand at a time, the sorcerer smeared something along the inside of his wrists before releasing him and lighting a pair of blue candles, setting one on either side of the bed.

"Make yourself comfortable however you might normally for sleep and we'll get started shall we?" The doctor watched him carefully for a moment before seating himself on the floor beside the bed. His legs folded into a lotus pose and his hands rested against his knees, his eyes closing as though he was settling in to meditate.

And maybe he was.

Not paying any heed to the substance on his wrists, Tony lowered himself down so his head was resting on the pillow. He was a side-sleeper, so naturally there was that momentary debate whether or not he would face toward or away from Stephen.

Things were already oddly surreal enough so he settled himself down facing him.

“Yeah, alright...”

His eyes lazily scanned over the sorcerer’s features, posture and pose. Eyes flicking slowly, taking in the gaunt jawline of Stephen’s face, outlined by the low light. His greying streaks caught the flecks of amber glow as they curled behind his ears and the rest of him was a picture of absolute serenity at this moment.

Hopefully, he’d soon reach that stage.

As the overhead light turned off, the only light in the room was the vaguest lines of daylight sneaking past the curtains, and the two flickering candles whose flames seemed to be steadily changing colours almost hypnotically. Stephen's clothes and hair seemed to rustle briefly as though a breeze passed through the room and the last thing Tony saw as he fell asleep were the short, delicate movements of Stephen's hands before exhaustion draped over him like a blanket.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony awoke laying atop a pile of rubble.

A burning amber firmament hung above and ash fell from acid-black clouds. He picked his weak, tired form up off the ground, bodies littering the floor of what appeared to be a sprawling main street.

Above, multiple fissures bleeding armies and invading alien ships through with barely the husk of his city left standing. All around were bodies, comrades, colleagues, friends, family - all familiar faces, bloodied and discarded.

It all reeked of Thanos, yet it wasn’t him. The creatures that invaded appeared much different from the Chitauri and he watched on in horror as the widespread pandemonium continued to unfold.

He was wearing his nanosuit, but not fully. It had been shattered and torn apart and he could feel lesions in his side from a battle recently fought. He looked upon the bodies on the ground, Avengers - some familiar in feeling but not in sight. That feeling when one could recognize the unique presence of another within a dream regardless if their faces were blurry or not.

Tony crumpled to his knees, staring ahead mortified. He’d been numb until this point, like the realization of something horrible finally dawned on him and those feelings rushed in like a current.

He was being swept away in an emotional tide and it was just as a suffocating as the very act of drowning itself. His hands were at his throat as he gasped for air, reacting violently, emotionally and physically to everything like he’d never felt before.

It was completely overwhelming him.

"Breathe, Tony." There was a calm if commanding voice that spoke then, the warmth of a presence that wasn't directly in contact with him, but that also felt _close._ "This isn't real. None of this is real anymore. Breathe and focus."

The reassurance didn't stop the sounds of burning, alarms, the concept of the aftermath around him, but the presence radiated a feeling of safety and warmth. Footsteps sounded as the warmth moved away, masking a soft tsking noise as the figure crouched down to examine one of the bodies laid out on the cracked pavement of a New York street - what street? Who knew? The state of the buildings around them made it unclear, nothing to identify their location. Was it even New York?

"This is all quite a mess, isn't it? I'll need you to help walk me through things as you see them. When you're ready."

It felt familiar, comforting, and most importantly very much alive.

Tony couldn’t quite discern who the voice belonged to, who this blurry apparition in his dream was that stood beside him. All he knew was that the clutching, asphyxiating force at his throat eased with each word and he could soon breathe again.

He dared to look up to see the other’s face; he knew who that voice belonged to, it was on the tip of his tongue! Though not able to recognize fully and comprehend the man’s disposition, the red sky began to fade away into blue as the disaster went with it.

The stress began to melt away and with it the image of a dying world, until blue skies and a vista of a deep forest started to take over and bleed into his subconscious.

It felt _so_ familiar, just as familiar as the man standing next to him. Yet, still unidentifiable.

"There you are... just keep breathing." The voice soothed, at his side once again.

"Where are you, Tony? Where is this place?" The man coaxed quietly. He seemed curious, observing the changing scenery with interest before reaching down to offer the fallen man a hand.

Tony took the offered hand and grasped it firmly. Still the figure was so familiar _but he just couldn’t discern who, who was it?_

They felt so familiar, like someone he’d known for a _very_ long time. He knew he could trust them and curled his hand around their palm, squeezing it fondly.

“Upstate New York? No… We _were_ in New York, I don’t know where we are now, but it feels so familiar...” He trailed off, looking around as the image of an almost _ancient_ setting unfolded in front of him.

It was still the forest, but something felt so much different about it, like there was a deep rooted connection between the landscape and the engineer.

"Do you think of this place often? Dream it perhaps?" The other inquired as he pulled Tony to his feet, looking at their surroundings curiously. "How does this place make you feel?"

The engineer squinted and shook his head.

“No… It feels so familiar, but I’ve never seen this place before.” The familiarity of the other figure’s voice stopped him from inquiring who he was. Almost as if it wasn’t even a question on his mind. He didn’t release the other’s hand, as if it just _felt right to hold it_.

"Is it a good familiar? A bad familiar? Does it make you feel happy, or sad? How would you describe this place?" The questions were evenly paced and the voice remained calm and steady, though his face remained turned away as he continued to observe their surroundings.

“Definitely a good familiar… a safe haven, sanctuary of sorts… It brings me great joy, nothing… makes me happier than being here, almost nostalgic in a sense...” Tony trailed off as the dream enveloped him in a comforting, warm hug.

There was so much that was familiar to him, yet so much that he couldn’t discern. He’d been here before… _but he hadn’t?_

"You feel _safe_ here?" The other reiterated, before humming softly. "Will you show me more of this place? Or is it precisely this spot that makes you feel safe?"

“Yes… protected.” He trailed off as he lead the _familiar_ figure through the dense forest. There were parts of the forest that were dangerous, but he knew better than to go there.

One spot in particular that provoked mixed feelings was a stream, rushing water. It both spurred a calmness and a slight anxiety in him.

The other barely made a sound as he followed along, though he came to stand directly beside Tony when he stopped, tilting his head in thought. "This is a barrier." It wasn't a question this time, more something stated as fact. "We don't have to cross this. Stay where you feel comfortable and safe."

“I need to cross… I have to…” He trailed off as he zoned out, staring at the stream. Tugging the unfamiliar figure over he walked up to the edge of the stream as his feet touched the water the air began to chill and soon enough he found himself in a winter atmosphere with the stream completely frozen over.

"It's safe enough."

His companion followed along after him without hesitation, a warm hand still wrapped around Tony's as he was guided through the freshly fallen snow and onto the ice.

"Where are we going? Where do you need to be?"

“Somewhere, anywhere.” Tony continued to lead them over the ice. There were sharp, earthy cracks, deep in the ice that threatened to break though the two managed to pass safely over it’s frozen hull through the dense, frozen thicket.

"Is _all_ of this a safe place? Are there animals in this place?"

“I can recall birds… cardinals… and deer...” They made it across the frozen lake at this point, Tony stopping to look around as if searching the skies for something he knew. Any verbal or visual cue of some sort.

Despite the season there were the soft chirps of songbirds in the distance, a cheerful, energetic melody despite there being no birds in sight. The snow made no noise as the other stepped up beside him, following his gaze skyward.

"Are you looking for them now? Or are you waiting for something?"

“They’re already here.” He mentioned, closing his eyes as a very large smudge of red appeared in the sky. It looked like a bird, bright red with outstretched wings but way too unfamiliar to be anything of this world as it flew towards them.

Just red… flapping wings?

His companion made a startled sound, the hand around Tony's tightening its grip slightly though two breaths later it had eased up again. The other's voice sounded slightly unsteady when he spoke again.

"Can you... explain to me what you see?"

Tony had in turn reciprocated the squeeze to his companion’s hand.

The deep crimson barreled towards them at an alarming speed, it moved flapping it’s _wings_ as it drew near, a blurry smudge. It sped towards the two in a tempest of red feathers before stopping in front of them and all Tony could see was wide-spread crimson before the both of them had been wrapped in a an embrace of vermillion.

There was silence after that and the feeling of someone cradling him, comforting him.

It felt like being swept up in the arms of a loved one and cared for with a love so profound that finally put the engineer’s mind to rest as he lost all notions of lucidity after that, sinking into a calm abyss.  
  
_"Sleep. Rest. I'll be here when you wake."_ The words were warm and soothingly soft, coming from everywhere all at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
> (Amy) twitter.com/marvelwizardmom  
> (Astral) twitter.com/Kraionis


	2. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen goes over Tony's first dream-therapy session. Tony tackles some heavy subjects he's been struggling with internally.

 

By the time Tony woke the room was mostly dark. A fresh breeze drifted into the room and there were only the vaguest traces of a smoky floral scent. More clear was the smell of fresh coffee nearby and the one lamp that lit a corner of the room where Stephen sat, flipping through a book (calling it a 'book' was putting it lightly, the thing he was holding was  _ massive _ \- a tome maybe?) and nursing a delicate looking cup of tea.

The candles on his bedside had gone out and the curtain over the window billowed just a little - a sign of where the breeze had come from. He'd barely started to move when he realized he was entirely draped under not only his original blankets, but a distinctly cuddly red cloak.

Fingers had curled around the thick fabric and as the breeze rolled in and ruffled his hair, he slowly woke, feeling more refreshed than he had been in months -  _ dare he admit that. _

Tony was so comfortable, so warm and the brisk breeze against his cheek contrasted with he warmth of the soft sheets. It was something to enjoy.

The environment was vastly unfamiliar but cozy and comforting at the same time. Sensations Tony hadn’t had the luxury of enjoying since the nightmares started riddling him and robbing him of his sleep.

The engineer slowly rose, sheets falling off of him as he did so. At first, he was disoriented. But soon enough he called on his powers of recollection and remembered just where he was and why he was there. 

His fingers gently rubbed into the cloak, thinking it was the sheets of the comforter and he rested them there as he looked around, spotting Stephen with all vitality restored to him. 

He felt renewed, unexpectedly and found himself rather abashed at admitting so after one session.

“Doc?”

The man in question looked up curiously before closing his book and setting it aside.

"Stark, good evening. I'm sorry about  _ that _ ." The sorcerer gestured to the cloak that was adjusting itself in place, curling around the hands that held it. "I'm afraid it was terribly insistent about wanting to be right there and I didn't want to fight with it and disrupt your rest."

Giving a sigh, Stephen offered a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

Tony splayed his fingers over the dark crimson surface of the cloak in slow even strokes. Fingers grazing over the different textures embroidered into its vast canvas.

“Fantastic actually.” Tony stopped his ministrations, suppressing a soft chuckle at the cloak’s over-fondness of him. “Don’t know what you did doc but I have to say… It was worth the begging.” Tony was practically glowing with how energized he was.

He reached up to stretch, finally slipping his feet out from underneath the comforter and over the side of the bed, looking over at Stephen.

"There's coffee on the side table if you'd like." Stephen gestured absently before giving a light shrug and waving a hand at the cloak as though he was trying to summon the fabric over. 

The fabric either didn't notice,  _ or simply ignored him. _

"A sleeping spell. I'd meant to take the opportunity to delve into your nightmares to try and locate distinct sources for them as a means of jumpstarting your treatment, but... a peculiar thing happened. Rather than being able to pull you into a lucid dreaming state, you... hm. How do I put this...?" The sorcerer looked thoughtful, sipping at his tea before setting it aside. "You created a new dream instead. Do you remember any of it, by chance?"

Tony kept the hand wrapped in fabric over the cloak while the other rubbed his forehead as he tried to remember what happened when he was sleeping.

“Can’t say I do, I just feel very well rested… and maybe, all I can remember is red?” He looked down at the cloak, which may have been the obvious answer.

“I don’t know if what you’re talking about is normal, this is all news to me because I have no idea what you do or how you do it.” He slowly reached on instinct towards the source of that aromatic caffeine smell and pulled the mug into his lap with his free hand. His eyes spotted the familiar book from before again, somehow drawn to it.

“It was a nice change though.” He brought the cup to his lips to sip at the dark liquid, setting it down before offering Stephen a smile.

"In a natural dreaming state what you did isn't entirely uncommon." Stephen clarified with a slight shrug. "Don't be concerned. But given the magically induced nature of your sleep, and the fact that there was an intruder in your dreamscape...  _ that _ was a little more unusual. Your nightmares, from what I could see, were essentially as expected. But you retreated from the nightmare space very quickly after I engaged with you. By the workings of your  _ own _ mind you sought safety - and not in a manner that ejected me from your dream. You brought me along for the ride."

Leaning back in his seat, the sorcerer chuckled softly. "The fact that you brought me along... I suppose I should be flattered that subconsciously you trust me that much."

Tony’s hand subconsciously pulled the cloak in and squeezed softly against his chest as he grew a little sheepish at Stephen’s laughter.

He found it pretty endearing, although something he wasn’t familiar with.

“Hey! Well I mean from a guy that basically gave himself up to save an entire universe - what do you expect? Not like you really proved otherwise!” He jested in defense. “Do you normally get ejected from dreams when this sort of stuff happens?” Tony’s eyes flicked between his cup and Stephen.

"Typically if there's such a dramatic shift in the dream, yes. Unless the change in dream was  _ caused _ by an intruder, it would typically result in the ejection of an intruder from a dream, or for the new dream to cause the dreamer distress. But you seemed very at peace the majority of the time. And the place wasn't one that  _ I _ chose, so the only logical conclusion I can come to is that you were willing to welcome me into your safe space. Which  _ does _ bode well for your sessions at the very least."

Pausing to sip at his tea, Stephen offered another light smile. "We can go into a deep dive of information and processing  _ now _ , or we can continue another time if you'd prefer. I'm sure you'll be wanting to eat soon given how long you've been asleep. But you seemed to need it so... I just let you rest."

Tony had a hard time registering the information but simply responded with steady, slow nods of his head.

“All I know is that it all felt natural, familiar and safe now that I think of it... If you were there? I didn’t notice or you were just as much a part of it.” Tony suddenly felt a fondness wash over him and he absently pulled the cloak in closer to his chest thinking it was the bed sheet.

“Why not now when the dream is fresh? I know that the longer you wait after having a vivid dream, the more it deteriorates.” Tony was too curious to make any sort of wise quips at the moment.

The supposed bedsheet seemed to cuddle back against him with ease and Stephen's gaze dropped to it in an expression of confusion and amusement, but he didn't say a word on the matter.

"If you don't recall the dream then it's not exactly fresh for you, is it? As for me, I have an eidetic memory. I'm not liable to forget any of the details, so I can recount them whenever required. If you're free now, that works just as well for me as anything else. But perhaps we'll head downstairs and sit somewhere a bit more comfortable for you while we talk?" The doctor smiled in response, pulling himself to his feet and gathering the tome under an arm while still holding his teacup in the other. 

"Naturally I'll meet you in the sitting room if you'd like to change out of bedclothes before you join me."

Tony set his cup down with a nod. All of this had him feeling sheepish at the moment considering he’d been completely humbled by the success of Stephen's very unconventional treatment.

As the sorcerer left the room he’d expected the cloak to follow but no - it stayed with him for whatever reason. Tony had no complaints, he made quick work of changing back into his clothes from earlier leaving the attire Strange had loaned to him folded neatly on the bedspread soon after tidying it up.

Unsurprisingly the cloak had taken up a residence on Tony’s shoulders as he grabbed his not-so-forgotten cup of coffee and trotted down after.

“Looks like I’m in line to be the next dashing wizard of New York.” He quipped softly as he came down the stairs and nodded to the cloak hanging off of his shoulders. 

"Yes, it's been rather taken with you the entire time you were asleep." Stephen chuckled a little from his chair. "I can't rightly say  _ why _ it's been so enamoured, but I suppose it's not terribly unusual for you, is it?"

Gesturing to the chair across from him, the doctor's smile remained fixed on his face. It was a professional smile to a point, but not in a cold and distant way so much as in a way that recognized they weren't sitting here simply as friends gossiping. There was a task to be accomplished and the doctor was clearly focused on it. "Please, make yourself comfortable. If you'd like more coffee let me know, otherwise I'd like to recount to you what I saw in your nightmare and in your dream and see if any of it jogs your memory."

Tony took a seat and leaned back in his chai, nodding. He was still nursing the cup of coffee and at this point the cloak had basically become a blanket draped over his shoulders which he was all too ready to treat as such.

His hands curled around the mug as he cradled it in his lap.

“Well, when it’s not making  _ passes at me _ during a world-ending crises.” He snickered to himself. “Alright, lay it on me doc, since you remember it so vividly.”

"For one thing it's important to be clear - 'vivid' isn't a way I can describe a dream. Dreams are... an odd entity to actually be a part of as an outsider as a lot of parts of a dream can only be interpreted by the dreamer. The only cues I have as to how you felt about things were your own reactions and words, and figures and locations tend to have an almost blurry quality unless the dreamer is focused on them. Like looking through fogged glass and only one person can clear away the fog to make what lays beyond clear."

Taking a brief sip of tea, Stephen smiled. "So let's start with your nightmare, brief though it was. As I said earlier it was essentially what I expected. Mass destruction, bodies scattered around, a bunch of holes in a black sky... ash..." He hesitated as he said the word, wrinkling his nose in automatic displeasure at a memory that was likely just as real for him as for Tony. "Things were just a blurry haze though. You were panicking, I'm confident your brainwaves would have been going haywire if you'd been hooked up to an EEG, but in order to progress you needed to be calmed, so I intervened to try and get you settled and focused. The moment you started to focus things changed."

Stephen paused in his recollection, watching Tony carefully while he spoke in search of signs of recognition, leaving him quiet for a moment. "Do you recall any of that, or what changed?"

Tony seemed to tense up as Stephen went into his vague recollection of the nightmare. He’d gotten a clear refresher and as the sorcerer reiterated, the pieces started to come back to him slowly despite his desire.

It made him anxious, but he nodded regardless and listened.

“Yes… I do, a lot of my dreams tend to be just that. World ending scenarios, destruction and the loss of people I care about...” He trailed off, tapping the mug and he received a soft squeeze from the cloak which he was subtly thankful for.

“I just remember hearing a voice... Someone talking, which I guess was you. As soon as I looked up and concentrated on it, everything started to change.”

Stephen nodded gently, not taking notes or making any motions further than to drink at his tea. He remained distinctly attentive, observing the little changes in Tony's demeanour as he spoke.

"Do you remember what it changed  _ to _ ? If I can get an idea of some of the things that stuck out to you it'll go a little way in helping me figure out what your mind is prioritizing, which can potentially be worked in to the underlying issues. If you can't recall, that's alright as well. I'm not expecting you to have memorized a dream and this isn't a test. It'll just give me some insight into where you're at."

“I just remember a lot of green… forests, nothing more and once everything changed it felt better.” He tried to recall more of the dream but the rest was a haze in his mind.

“I don’t remember anything after that, doc.” The brunette took another sip from his coffee cup.

"I see. Before I continue, then... do you typically feel safer in the forest, or have any particularly strong memories associated with the woods?" Stephen asked, his expression becoming one that was more openly curious, as though he was looking for something.

“Honestly? No, I’ve always felt more comfortable around my tech and in the city. I was never much of an outdoors-man. A forest in the middle of nowhere would be the last place you’d find me.” Tony had to chuckle at that, coming from a guy that surrounded himself in modern-day gizmos and gadgets - that he invented no-less!

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Odd." The sorcerer shook his head for a moment before leaning back and sipping at his tea once more.

"Well, you said it was a safe haven or sanctuary of some sort. You described it as something that brought you great joy and made you feel protected, expressing that no where made you happier and a familiarity with it. Nostalgic, I believe you said. When I asked you to show me more of the place that made you feel safe, you brought me to a stream. It was the only time once the dream changed that you expressed any sort of hesitance or discomfort. Do you remember that?"

“A little, not really though. I just remember the overall feeling of the dream rather than the imagery. Kind of how you remember a moment but can’t remember all the details of the moment? You know for sure how it made you feel at the time.” Tony set his mug down, he was about to start gesturing but figured Stephen already understood what he was trying to get across to him.

"I can imagine." Stephen sighed softly, in his spot, his brows furrowing for a moment before he shrugged lightly. "When I said we didn't have to cross, you insisted that you  _ needed _ to and the water froze over. You deemed it safe so we crossed. You had no distinct answer about  _ where _ you needed to go, but eventually you stopped and indicated that 'they' had arrived - I assumed you meant birds given I'd asked about animals prior. But something large and red dropped out of the sky - you'd mentioned cardinals specifically before and its motions were very birdlike - and the dream became too indistinct for me to make anything of it, so I left you to your rest."

“I can’t remember anything else after that...” Tony only reiterated, “I felt I knew where I was going, and everyone there, the bird - or whatever it was even felt familiar, almost matriarchal but I can’t remember feeling anything after that until I woke up with the cloak here on me.” Tony poked the collar of the cloak and in turn  _ it poked right back. _

“Maybe I was just lucid before I came to.”

"Let's back up to what you  _ do _ remember then. The nightmare, as much as I'm sure it's not something you want to talk about or think about, is it one you have often? Or ones like it at least?"

“I have nightmares often, it’s not exactly the same but similar to all the others. They all start the same and end the same, with me waking up in a cold-sweat. They are so frequent that I don’t get much more rest when I sleep then when I’m awake.”

"So the details will change between nightmares, but the setting and general theme of the nightmares are typically consistent then?" Stephen gave him a curious look, watching the cloak's playful interactions with Tony now and then, but otherwise managing to maintain focus on Tony himself.

“Basically, yeah. I know it’s starting to feel like a broken record for me but when you’re sleep deprived the lines between real and surreal start to blur… There’s no hiding the obvious that what happened imprinted a sort of… trauma in my mind.” Tony folded his hands in his lap, clenching his hands.

"You're not wrong there, and I can utterly sympathize with the state. But at the same time figuring out what you're sorting through and how you're prioritizing it subconsciously will also help in figuring out the biggest issues to tackle. At this point there's no sending you back to before the trauma was caused, Thanos is dead, there are no alien invasions on the horizon to my knowledge, but it's just as much about what you  _ don't _ know as what you  _ do _ isn't it?"

Tony slowly nodded his head as Stephen explained it to him.

Fear of the unknown was prominent, and the fear that he needed to protect his loved ones just tied right into that. The idea that he could be so completely powerless and let the world fall so far apart from him is what induced all of this.

Thanos was one of many in his mind, and until he got over that mindset then he wouldn’t progress.

“I don’t believe that Thanos was the last problem our world will ever have to deal with. I know there’s things out there, bigger, stronger than him that we can’t even comprehend. Thanos being gone isn’t the end of it all, every time we knock down a big guy something bigger and badder comes and takes its place.”

"That task isn't solely yours, though. With Captain Danvers' presence here again and the Avengers' lineup seeming to continue to grow, does  _ any _ of it bring you a sense of peace or relaxation? Or is it a persistent fear of failure on your own part, rather than a lack of preparedness on the parts of everyone involved?"

Tony let out a deep breath.

Failure? No, that wasn’t it. Maybe partially, but it wasn’t the source of his nightmares.

“Who’s going to protect those people when they can’t protect themselves, when they fall? In each scenario I’m the only one left in the end. I was left completely powerless and unable to help.”

"Is that the common take-away from those nightmares?" Stephen inquired softly, shifting in his seat to set his teacup down. "That you're the only one left, and you feel powerless?"

Tony was hesitant to admit it, especially to Stephen but right now this was less about Stephen being a shoulder to cry on and more about  _ Strange being a medical professional he was paying for council from. _

“Yeah, powerless and  _ alone. _ ”

"I see." The doctor took a deep breath, looking thoughtfully at the floor for a moment. "... when do you think was the time you  _ most _ felt powerless and alone?"

The answers were hard coming from Tony as he shifted again a little uncomfortably.

“Titan, after Thanos’ decimation. When you and everyone left, and I was alone with Nebula on Titan. I didn’t know who was alive and I couldn’t do anything to stop what happened…”

The other nodded gently as the cloak curled a little tighter around Tony for support. "How did it make you feel beyond that? Powerless, alone... but how did that manifest for you in those moments? Anger? Guilt? Sadness? Abandonment?"

“I felt alone, guilty I couldn’t do anything, regret like I didn’t try hard enough to stop it, frustration at Thanos getting away,  _ betrayal _ ...and grief overall.” Tony trailed off with a deep breath. He tried not to elaborate on that second last point.

"Have those feelings eased at all since? Are some more reoccurring than others? Do some of them feel more manageable?"

“Well, fear obviously of being alone again, not being able to protect the people I care for. I guess I’m always upgrading my suit and trying to get stronger so if another threat comes around I have a chance. But it’s all cyclical. It’s always recurring and never stops, it feeds off of itself. And then I snowball...”

"Now... you were an only child, correct?" Stephen's query came with only the briefest of hesitation before he leaned back. "Did you spend a lot of time alone growing up, or have you always had a preference towards being surrounded by people?"

The change was a breath of fresh air though he was silently inquisitive about where the thought process was going with such a dramatic shift in subject. 

Tony let out the breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

“That’s right, an only child. I didn’t have a lot of friends when I was younger but it changed in my older years. I do prefer company, especially of people I care about, but usually I like to be alone when I work which is more often than not.”

"Would I be correct in stating that for you your close friends are as much family as your actual family?"

Tony let out a cynical laugh. It came out more of an amused huff of air as his eyes fell to his hands still clenched tightly in his lap.

“That’s an accurate assumption doc. Honestly, my friends are more my family then my family ever was.”

"Fair enough. You've shown a lot of dedication to them and their well-being - particularly the Avengers. You've housed them, equipped them and otherwise made certain they were cared for..." Stephen offered a slightly lighter smile. "That dedication and care is admirable, and even now you still surround yourselves with them. When you really think about it... do you suppose that's for  _ their _ sake or your own?"

Tony thought deeply on the words, there was a drawn out silence after as he tapped his fingers against his knees and leaned back into the collar of the cloak a little more.

“... I’d say it’s mostly for me, and a little for them. But I really care for them, it’s right down the middle there. I need them close, I need to be able to watch over and protect them.”

"There's nothing wrong with it either way," the sorcerer reassured, continuing to smile. "It's  _ okay _ to need others around, and it's  _ okay _ to want to protect them. It's not selfish to want them around for your own sake, either."

Glancing at the time, Stephen sighed softly before offering an apologetic smile to Tony. "We should probably finish up here for now. You should get some eating done and as rested as you may feel now, do at least  _ try _ to get some rest tonight? We can talk about how that goes over next time we meet. As I said, I'm free tomorrow, but the reality is there's only going to be so much I can help with in short periods of time. Weekly sessions tend to be more effective in the long term, but I'll do my best to work around your schedule."

“That time already is it?” Tony managed a small smile in return, giving the cloak a soft pat before sliding out from underneath it’s clutch and standing up. He had to admit that his shoulders now felt rather bare without its presence.

“Honestly, the time you’ve actually given me so far is more than I expected to get - thanks doc. Is there a time you want me stopping by tomorrow? Even if you think these sessions aren’t as effective if I do them so often, it still helps to at least talk some of this stuff out.” Tony pulled out a small book from the inside of his coat with a pen attached and started to scrawl quickly over the paper.

"Most sessions won't be nearly this long unless we're doing several of these sessions with you sleeping. My hope is that we can move past that and actually deal with the root cause and get you back to sleeping properly. I'm not going to be the person who prescribes you medication, so don't anticipate that kind of thing cropping up, but making sure you're well rested is still very much something I want to make sure is dealt with until we can get you to that point organically."

Getting to his feet, Stephen gave the cloak a quick pet as it darted across the room and settled on the sorcerer's shoulders again. "If you'd like to come by just after noon that will leave a bit of time for your session. If you don't sleep well... send a text and we'll rearrange and have you come by in the evening instead - or I can come to you and see if we can't coax you to sleep after the session."

"I guess we'll just have to see?" Tony tore off the piece of paper he had been writing on, it was a cheque made out to Stephen Strange. He handed it to the doctor with a genuine smile. "Here, I told you I'd be paying for a consultation and you went above and beyond. I haven't slept nearly as well as that even when I wasn't having nightmares."

Without a warning Tony lightly snagged Stephen’s wrist and landed the paper in his palm before pulling away.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, and I'll try to keep a diary for the dreams I have tonight if I do manage to get some sleep."

"Well you beat me to that recommendation then. Good." The sorcerer smiled, not bothering to look at the cheque as he dealt with his patient. "I hope you manage to get  _ some _ rest tonight, and I'll see you tomorrow around noon, or we'll talk a little earlier if plans require changing. You did really well today, Stark. I know it's not easy to face these kinds of things or to talk about them, but you did great."

If there was one thing, Stephen as a professional made this much easier than  _ Doctor Strange _ the egotistical wizard. 

Tony had gotten to see a completely different side of the man he'd only recently become so familiar with and it was safe to say it made it a lot easier to open up. 

He felt like he could trust Stephen, all preconceived notions of the doctor thrown away for this newly revealed personable side. Perhaps this was simply his professional face? It felt genuine regardless and Stephen had made no hesitation offering help before any sort of figures or compensation was even made mention.

"Good progress for a good doctor." Tony winked playfully. "See ya tomorrow Strange." Tony waved a hand, and nodded at the cloak before leaving through the doors of the sanctum. 

The flight would be short and he was in better spirits than he had been in a long time.

"Good night, Stark." The sorcerer called after him and the doors closed on their own behind Tony as he exited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
> (Amy) twitter.com/marvelwizardmom  
> (Astral) twitter.com/Kraionis


	3. Blood & Bones

Once again Tony had _awoken_ to a catastrophic scene, but this time it was much different… He was floating alone, in the void of space with a picture of the Earth, shattered and destroyed with only rubble and debris, a mere shell of its hubris left in wake.

_The Earth had been completely annihilated._

Everything Tony knew in that moment was lost and he would simply exist, floating in space into the nothingness.

Into the void.

So many emotions raced through him, ‘not again,’ he’d tell himself, ‘I let this happen,’ or ‘This was my fault,’ as he curled up into a fetal position and let himself float through the ever growing cold of the void.

Floating… on and on for what felt like an eternity, trapped here, alone with his vices.

He felt something prick his shoulder.

_The cold? Possibly..._

What appeared to be the sounds of distant bird calls echoed through his entire being. Faint chirrups and tweets in the form of a soft song, echoed and sent reverbial shockwaves through the fabric of space.

Stars shifted and rippled like a stone dropped into a pond as he looked upon his surroundings to find the source of the noise. He turned to see the source of the prick on his shoulder, a vermillion cardinal perched, chirping at him in delight as it flew off.

 

* * *

 

Tony took a seat on the familiar arm chair, folding his hands on his lap as he leaned over onto his knees.

“I had another nightmare last night, but I ended up getting some amount of sleep doc.” Tony’s eyes flicked to Stephen who sat across from him attentively on the opposing seat.

The cloak had unsurprisingly betrayed it’s master, taking up residence on the engineer’s shoulders once again with it’s comforting warmth.

"That's good!" The sorcerer sat in the same lounge chair he'd sat in before, no notebook in his hands as they lay across his lap in a relaxed manner. "A large percentage of people who deal with PTSD struggle to fall asleep or _stay_ asleep, so I'm not expecting all of this to go away overnight, but the fact that you got some sleep already marks an improvement. How rested are you feeling after the sleep? Was the nightmare disruptive of your sleep?"

“I’d say somewhat rested… The thoughts still linger but I got at least a few hours of shut-eye,” He mentioned a bit surprised by Stephen’s response. “It was disruptive at first… but eventually ended with a dreamless night.” Tony looked down to the notepad in his lap he’d scrawled some key-points of his dream down onto.

"Did the nightmare cause you to wake? Or was it something you wanted to talk about?" Stephen inquired, attentive enough that it was no surprise he caught the engineer checking his notepad.

Tony frowned as he referred to the pad of paper in his lap. There were several notes jotted down, some he had to squint at because he’d hastily scrawled them and couldn’t quite read his own writing. One note in particular was underlined twice which were the words _‘red bird - probably cardinal, ask the doc.’_

He looked up to Stephen.

“It didn’t cause me to wake, no but there was a red cardinal in the dream… Near the end. I don't know if that means anything.”

"A cardinal again, hm?" Stephen looked contemplative as he leaned back in the chair. "Yesterday you spoke of a cardinal in your dream and near the end a large red bird-like creature seemed to sweep in to your dream. Things became too indistinct after that for me to continue to observe your dreams, but you seemed to sleep peacefully after. Thinking of cardinals now in a waking sense, do they have any meaning to you outside of that? Or make you feel any particular way?"

“Honestly doc it was just a bird? It was almost like it was leading me somewhere but I can’t recall the rest of what happened afterwards, it’s all a blur. I guess it’s odd for being the second time I’ve seed a cardinal in my dreams…” He trailed off, the cloak gave his shoulders a comforting squeeze.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

"I don't know of any particular spiritual or magical significance to cardinals, but I did look into the significance of cardinals in dreams. For the post part dream symbolism seems to suggest that some sort of focus on a cardinal in a dream symbolizes the need to be true to yourself - that you need to let go of what you believe you need to be for the sake of finding joy in who you _are_ . With the recognition of some of the things we spoke about yesterday, and the knowledge that you're consistently pushing yourself to be what you perceive to be _more_ and _better_ in whatever way... is it possible that you've lost sight of yourself and your personal strengths?"

Tony was hard pressed to believe the superstition of symbolism in dreams but then again... _we were dealing with a wizard here_ , but also a wizard that knew much better than Tony at the moment - who’s methods had been _proven_.

“Are you sure It’s not just a cardinal and nothing more? I mean, that’s a lot to take away from a bird that appeared in my dream for only a few moments.”

"You brought it to my attentions. So for a bird to appear for only a few moments, after the emphasis and focus you put on it the night before, without any distinct reasoning for it that _you_ seem to be able to provide...?" Stephen shrugged a little bit.

"It _could_ be nothing... but in my experience and with little else to go on but the recognition that you've twice in a row responded strongly to this otherwise insignificant bird... it's worth at least looking at the possibility that you may be subconsciously manifesting an entity to provide you with guidance."

Tony went quiet after that, _Stephen had a point._ Who was he to dismiss signs like these? Especially when they could legitimately prove to mean something more in the long run.

“You honestly think this could be something more? Guidance for what?” Tony was genuinely curious, now that Stephen had put so much emphasis on it. He’d had his doubts but Stephen’s methods had been tried and true so far, so who was he to doubt?

"You're in the middle of dealing with survivor guilt and PTSD, and you've managed to manifest a songbird of all things. It could be meant to guide you towards a path that will make you happier, it could be a representation of your _self_ if you are feeling out of touch with yourself, it could - for all I know - be a representation of _me_ because you fell asleep yesterday with the _cloak_ draped across my shoulders... vibrant red, capable of flight... it's hard to say precisely what associations you make with the bird itself or why you react to its presence."

Sighing softly, the sorcerer gave the slightest shrug. "But cardinals _are_ considered to be good omens and represent endurance and strength - they're hardy birds who don't migrate even during the coldest of winters. Some associate them with blood and fire - life, warmth and energy - and thus associate them with passion and boldness, along with heroism and magic. All I can say for _certain_ is that we should keep an eye out and see if this continues to be an ongoing motif of your dreams. If it continues to show up, we'll be able to establish a better understanding of _why_."

_All of this information was making Tony’s head hurt._

There were too many similarities between everything but at the same time it felt so... fairy tail esque. If a fairy tale was what it was going to take then so be it if it made the nightmares go away and his nights more restful.

“Have you been sneaking into my room while I’m asleep doc? You, the cardinal?” Tony joked softly, he knew that wasn’t the case. “I have a hard time wrapping my head around this… but if you’re sure about it then I won’t ask another question more. You of all people know more about how these things work.

"Asking questions is important. But for all the spirituality to it, it's best to hold off judgements on whether it is or isn't a significant thing until we find out if it continues to show up like this." Stephen shrugged again and offered a smile. "In the meantime, how are you feeling today in general? Dreams are all well and good, but I believe you wanted to see me for reasons that were _less_ related to magical knowhow and _more_ related to medical knowledge."

“Well, you know better than me doc.” Tony nodded, he did want to ask about another dream-analysis cycle.

He wanted to rest again in the sorcerer’s presence. He had gotten the best sleep in a long time within the company of the doctor, and even if he wasn’t completely a zombie this time, he was still pretty tired and worn down.

“Say, would we be able to do another one of those dream-analysis things? Where I fall asleep and you kind of guide me through it? It had some pretty damn good effects, not to mention it’s nice to actually have someone to fall asleep with...” He flashed a wide grin “Talking about my lovely bedfellow here.” He stroked the collar of the cloak.

"If you'd like." Stephen nodded with a small smile. "Though perhaps we'll put you to bed at a more reasonable sleeping hour than mid-afternoon this time? And perhaps in your own bed. If we can get you into the habit of sleeping at a certain time in the same place, we may be able to use scent cues to help you rest more peacefully on your own?"

“Scent queues? I bet my room is going to smell like a buddhist temple after I’m done with all this therapy. Don’t get me wrong - I’m totally fine with it, maybe I’ll even offer you a night cap to share with me before I hit the sack.” Tony snickered softly.

“So, should I just have you show up for when I’m ready to sleep or…” There was a reluctance to Tony’s inquiry, not wanting to separate from the sorcerer. “If you had nothing better to do, you could come and keep me company in the workshop...”

"You can keep your nightcap, but we probably won't need to put you through the same more _rigorously smoky_ methods as last time to get you to rest. It's more helping your brain associate a certain scent with sleep to help your mind rest more easily. I'm free for the rest of the day, but if you're busy in the workshop I can always come by when you're more ready to sleep - or at least when it's a more appropriate _hour_ for sleep. Whichever you'd prefer." His smile didn't fade as he spoke, nor did he indicate any kind of preference either way, but Stephen watched him carefully as though he was trying to puzzle something out.

“Honestly? I’d appreciate the company in the workshop if it wouldn’t totally bore you to death. It’s nice to have another mind there asides from the not-so-sentient robots.” He jested lightly. “But the whole scent association thing makes enough sense to me. I’ll treat you to dinner tonight as well - can’t cook but I promise I can provide a moderate-to-decent cafeteria meal from the compound.” Tony idly fingered with the collar of the cloak. The cloak nestled further in against the engineer's ministrations as Stephen gave him a more curious look.

"Well, if you insist. I'll need to gather a few things before we head over to your place, then. But I highly doubt you'd manage to bore me, Stark. You've always been a phenomenal conversationalist."

“Gather away, I’m in no rush. I was just going to be working on augmentations for the nano-suit. I have a work desk if that’s something you’d be needing as well, or a couch if you’re the more relaxed type.” He wouldn’t admit it but he was pretty excited that Stephen was going to be joining him for the evening, and not even because of the dream therapy he’d be receiving afterwards.

"Alright. I'll be just a moment." Nodding a little, Stephen pulled himself to his feet and headed off up the stairs to gather what he needed. The cloak remained contentedly bundled against Tony, hugging him lightly as though sensing his excitement.

 _And hey, maybe it could._ It was a sentient magical cloak, who knew what it could do?

“I bet this is a lot more engaging than anything that wizard companion of yours gets up to, all I ever see him doing is sitting around reading books the past times I’ve been here.” Tony would be mumbling quietly to the cloak, low enough so Stephen couldn’t hear him.

The cloak in turn curled its collar, playfully nudging Tony’s neck in response.

Stephen returned shortly enough with a small bag, before giving Tony a thoughtful look. "Are we portaling back to your place, or is this going to be one of those flying situations?"

“I mean, you're welcome to hold onto me for dear life while I rocket us through the air at speeds fast enough to break the sound barrier five-times over… Or, we can take a portal? I think the first option would be much more intrepid, don't you think?” The engineer grinned wickedly.

"I was _definitely_ thinking a slower pace than Mach-5 which, without the protection of armour, will probably kill me." The sorcerer wrinkled his nose a bit, but there was a certain amusement in his expression. "So if you want to break the sound barrier, I'll just meet you there."

“Hey! Wait if you’re taking a portal then I guess we’ll just both take the _mostly_ uninteresting way.” Tony hadn’t taken a portal before, he was mostly curious and half terrified at the same time.

" _Uninteresting_?" Stephen inquired, quirking an eyebrow at him for a moment before chuckling to himself and shaking his head. His hands raised soon enough to open a portal with slow circular movements of his hands and the sparking amber outline of a portal opened, displaying the familiar sight of his workshop beyond.

Tony observed as the portal formed in front of him and he carefully stepped on through (with the aid of the cloak giving him a hearty nudge). He cleared the portal and his attention snapped behind him then to Stephen as he almost bumped into his chest.

“Yeah well… I can do that too.” _No he couldn’t._

Tony was determined to prove himself, though summoning the nano-bot gauntlet to his hand, the tip augmented into a lit flare and he waved his hand around in circles in a crude mockery.

"You're a true reality warper, clearly." The sorcerer responded blithely, closing the portal he'd opened and sinking himself into a couch with an overly dramatic roll of the eyes. "But perhaps show me the things _you're_ good at rather than trying to emulate _my_ skills?"

“I’m hurt! Mortally wounded even.” The nano-parts receded and Tony kicked a stray part on the ground. “Hey butterfingers come here and make some tea for our guest.” Tony gestured to the robot which had stashed itself away in the corner of the room and was now slowly making it’s way over.

“Impressive eh? He can do about thirty percent of the things I ask him to without fail, I’d say that’s quite the feat.”

The cloak immediately flew over to the robot, curiously inspecting it.

Stephen's expression brightened considerably at the sight of the robot rolling through the room as well, casting a glance at Tony in interest. "This looks like a much more simplistic kind of machine than your suit is... is the trouble just it's age?"

“This was one of the first things I built when I was a kid.” The machine seemed to be paying much more attention to the cloak dancing around it than Stephen, and Tony snapped his fingers at it to try and grab it’s attention. “Hey, knock it off, we have guests, over here Dum-E.”

Tony _felt_ like a kid, walking up to Stephen, the figurative adult and showing off his ‘cool’ toys.

"The cloak seems rather taken with your friend." Stephen laughed softly, watching the three interact for a moment before lifting a hand. "Come on, don't cause trouble while we're visiting old friend. And _definitely_ don't go mucking around with that poor robot."

Tony had already taken a seat at his computer, the screens were facing the couch and the engineer had a desk full of them surrounded by various holo devices and holo tables.

The cloak paused in its excited gesturing long enough to give the impression it was considering the request, before darting back across the room to drape over Tony's shoulders, wholly ignoring its master, much to Stephen's apparent amusement.

When he felt the cloak latch onto his back again Tony almost jumped out of his skin from surprise. There was no way he would have been able to hide the small jump from Stephen. _Damn thing moved like lightning._

“Make yourself comfortable, Friday can get you anything you need if it’s not already here.” He’d begun moving parts around on his desk, picking back up with a project he’d started before.

"I'm sure I'll be fine with tea for the time being, thank you." Stephen chimed from his spot, rustling around a little bit as he made himself comfortable and settled in.

The cloak remained fixed in its place, though occasionally as Tony reached to grab something the cloak would dart out a corner to nab something and offer it to the engineer - whether it was correct in what it picked up or not was another thing, but it seemed to show a strange level of curiosity regarding what Tony was doing and an insistence on being a part of it.

More than anything, Stephen seemed familiar - and entertained, perhaps? - with the cloak's antics.

"If it's being a complete pain in the ass let me know. I'd rather it wasn't being problematic for you."

The first few times it grabbed some things, Tony would shake his head and point over to the correct piece he needed until the two were synchronously working together. Tony instead would point out what he needed and eventually the cloak was starting to hand him the correct things nine times out of ten.

“I’d usually have butterfingers helping me with this, but this is an assistant I could get used to having.” The engineer spun around in his chair with a grin as he held an arm piece in his lap that seemed to be a component of one of his repulsors and the cloak holding a myriad of undefined tools like it was some sort of living jack-knife.

At the mention of its name the robot chirruped, although somewhat sadly as it brought Stephen a cup of tea. It held the saucer out in front of Stephen for him to retrieve. Stephen offered the bot a small, gentle smile as he took the tea and saucer in one hand, and offered it a light pat with the other.

"Well then, I guess we should swap assistants for the time being, hm? Wouldn't want you to feel lonely and he's absconded with my friend, you know." The sorcerer spoke lowly to the bot, giving one of the metal beams a gentle petting. "You can hang out with me if you want."

Stephen's gaze lifted to settle on Tony and cloak, only to chuckle softly. "But you can't keep my cloak, you hear me? That comes home with me."

“What? I thought we could trade!” Tony deflated some, but it wasn't like he didn’t have access to the sorcerer almost literally at his beck and call.

The rest of the day went by silently with brief breaks to talk about relative theories on things Tony was working on. Inquiries on Stephen’s studies and what exactly he was reading in which he responded in terms that Tony may be able to understand - the engineer still seemed rather clueless and wondered why he’d even bothered asking in the first place.

Stephen was a quiet companion in the room, in fact the perfect one. He’d picked his space to occupy and didn’t seem like he was too uncomfortable, kept to himself except for some idle conversation that sparked between the two every now and then. It was company he could grow used to having around given how natural it felt.

At one point Tony invited Stephen up for a meal in the compound’s dining hall before setting back to work - a quiet, simple affair where they’d grab their meals and head back down to the workshop.

It came time when Tony considered a reasonable hour to turn in.

He could do with sleeping at the moment although he was not entirely worn out. Half worried about keeping Stephen too long past his own bed-time if it was at all possible that the sorcerer didn’t stay up late of his own accord.

“You ready to put me down for the night?” Tony piped up, he’d mostly been idling, thinking about everything that had happened as of late with the cloak unsurprisingly still draped over his shoulders.

"Are you asking _me_ or the cloak?" Stephen gave him a wry smile over the book he'd acquired - not the same book as the day before, this one was smaller and had been described as 'light reading' by the sorcerer earlier. "Because I'm sure the cloak would be _happy_ to tuck you in. Yes, I mean you - you little traitor."

The cloak's collar straightened for a moment as though offended, before simply curling around Tony and bundling him up into a soft cocoon. Shaking his head a little, Stephen closed his book over and gave Dum-E a final pat as he got to his feet. "Good night."

Thank goodness Tony didn’t have any sharp objects in his hand or it would have been bad for the both of them.

He had to admit, he enjoyed the hug, but he also felt put on the spot. There was a moment of vulnerability for him, just a flash that sent a wave of heat to his cheeks before it just as quickly died down. If he’d be able to move his arms he’d give the magical cloak another soft pat but that wasn’t exactly in his reach of motions right now.

“Hey now, don’t be so hard on it! It knows good company when it’s sees it!” The engineer jested. “Though I may need you to ease up there bud so I can stand and walk properly.” The cloak failed to respond and Tony turned a curious look to Stephen for an answer.

“Doc?”

"Don't look at me, it's making its own decisions today, apparently." Stephen sighed softly, looking to the cloak rather pointedly. "Are you going to let him go? Or are you planning on carrying him upsta-"

The words didn't even finish leaving Stephen's mouth before the cloak lifted the engineer off of his perch and started to make its way towards the door, pausing there long enough to open the door before zooming out of the room and upstairs, with signs of Stephen limited to the muted muttering from the workshop that _might_ have been cussing.

“I can walk you know!” The frazzled engineer exclaimed a bit nervously but tried to calm down some. _He knew this wasn’t a threat,_ it wasn’t _all that bad_ either, but having this happen in front of Stephen? It put him a little on spot.

_Why did he care anyways?_

The cloak was comforting in its own way but all of this had been so completely unexpected. And obviously Friday wasn’t going to intervene because she knew this wasn’t even close to a threat - in fact she probably thought this was hilarious.

Tony had managed to guide the cloak somewhat with some nods of his head, making it to his room where he was delicately placed atop his bed. He was pretty red in the face from the whole thing.

It was nearly a full minute before Stephen joined them, by which time the cloak had released Tony, laid out pajamas _and_ seemed intent on trying to tuck him in before even allowing him to change. The thing had a fundamental misunderstanding of how bedclothes seemed to work, but thankfully it hadn't put any efforts into actually _undressing_ him.

The slightly breathless sorcerer sighed from the doorway, rubbing at his face and shaking his head. "I'm _very_ sorry about that. The cloak and I will be having a serious discussion about the personal freedoms of human beings when we get home. Are you alright?"

“Oh I’m fine, a little surprised but all in good intent.” Tony looked down at the bed clothing and he simply shook his head with a laugh.

“In my own space I don’t really wear pajamas my friend.” He gave the collar a pat. There was a momentary inner debate where he considered stripping in front of Stephen or not. Given that this might be a regular occurrence he may have to just bite the bullet on this one and get used to it.

 _It was professional after all,_ and Stephen was just another man in that respect.

Tony didn’t make much of it when he slipped out of his shirt and cardigan, followed by his pants. He avoided Stephen’s gaze as he just as quickly slipped himself under the covers in just his undergarments, reclining on his back.

Stephen was apparently equally content to avoid looking at Tony while the other stripped to his boxers, busying himself instead with lighting a pair of candles to set on either side of the bed, and spritzing the pillowcases lightly with the same witch hazel mixture he'd used the day before.

There was no censer this time, nor any other incense, but the cloak seemed content to follow Stephen around as he set things up in the room, before sitting himself on the floor beside the bed, crossing his legs and showing off his flexibility once again by looking comfortable in his lotus pose.

"Whenever you're ready and comfortable..." The sorcerer murmured quietly, his eyes closed and his breathing steadied, having avoided so much as glancing in Tony's direction thus far.

Tony had been staring at the ceiling out of embarrassment but when Stephen had mentioned that he was also ready to begin, he shifted onto his side, knowing full well that Stephen would have his eyes closed.

Again, he fell asleep to the sight of the sorcerer’s serene persona, watching the other meditate until his eyes fell closed and he soon sank into sleep once again.

 

* * *

 

The vision of a bramble-filled forest was the first thing that materialized.

Deep brown, thorny roots wrapped around a countless survey of bodies and bones. All undefinable.

_It was different than last time._

Where there were colours that felt sinister in Tony's city-based dream, there was a distinct bleakness to the colours presented here that left Stephen curious and concerned.

It was hard to say whether this was a better place to jump in to Tony's dream or not - on the one hand the abstract nature of most dreams lent a certain level of interpretation to them, on the other that same abstract nature made it easier to become distracted from the root causes of things. And the thorns were definitely a distraction he needed to get past.

His eyes swiftly sought out the dreamer and Stephen took a brief moment to observe Tony before shuffling past him towards where things were more distinct - the place where Tony's gaze focused being more defined and less foggy looking than the rest of their surroundings. Bodies remained indistinct even as he knelt on the soot-covered ground to try and get a better impression of what he was seeing, but even as he brushed some ash away from a face Stephen found himself unsettled by the blurry, melting, almost horror-like sight that was exposed.

There would be little use in trying to identify these bodies without drawing Tony's attention to them.

"Where are we, Tony?" Stephen inquired instead, shifting in his spot to look at the one form that _was_ clear and distinct.

“A city? No… It looks like a forest, but it feels like the dark recesses of a cave.” The engineer was much more tense and he seemed to move more towards the source of the voice.

Tony seemed to recognize Stephen like before in the dreams, a little moreso.

“This place… It’s familiar, but it’s not safe… _I don’t feel safe.”_ Tony stumbled over corpses and bodies frantically trying to find footing unimpeded by bones or thorny vines.

"What about it feels unsafe?" Stephen inquired, taking a few careful steps over to Tony and offering his hand to the man once again as though the action would have any real effect on Tony's ability to stay upright.

Dreams were curious things that way - if Tony felt as though he could walk easily, he would walk easily. But if he felt as though he was tripping on things...

And it seemed fairly clear that Tony felt the burden of the bodies and bones in the way he struggled to walk.

The sorcerer gave the man a thoughtful look as he grasped Tony's hand tightly in his own, not having the same impediments to his movement as someone who was simply a participant of the dream. He _could_ manipulate and alter the dream if he needed, but that would easily take away from what Tony was experiencing and that wasn't the point of his being here.

Instead he acted as a more passive guide to the dreamer.

On the positive side: Tony hadn't immediately reacted to the dream with the same high anxiety that he had the last one - sure, he was clearly uncomfortable and unhappy, but this nightmare didn't seem to cause him the same level of distress as the last one had. Of course, this nightmare also seemed to have a more abstract lean to it. It was darker, dreary and cold - not in temperature, but in atmosphere. There were no clear or distinct signs of imminent attack, only the foreboding sense that _something_ might still be out there. The same _something_ that had caused the deaths of the people around them, presumably.

“Everything seems so sad, lonely… something happened here; I don’t know what. I don’t know who any of these people are.” The engineer squeezed Stephen’s hand as he used the other as some sort of support. “There’s death and rot everywhere… but-” Once Tony had taken Stephen’s hand it almost seemed like the engineer had calmed some.

He’d gone silent and slowly the vines began to shed their exterior thorns and birds - small finches began to land atop the now smoothed surfaces of the vines. Bones and bodies being absorbed into the earth as a breeze passed through.

A cloudy sky parted to the sun that shone through now on a graveyard sight. It took on less of a sad cadence and seemed to resonate something of growth and renewal.

"They're strangers to you?" Stephen asked softly, trying to mask his surprise at the notion. He'd anticipated these would be people familiar to Tony, people he felt some sort of guilt for letting down or something... not people Tony _didn't know._ It was a steadily more curious sight and not at all what Stephen had anticipated. And yet it stayed true to what had happened before - they made contact and the dream changed and became immediately less threatening.

The smallest odd thought crossed his mind for a moment as the nightmare shifted to take on a more dream-like quality and his gaze settled entirely on Tony.

He'd considered _before_ that perhaps he'd _accidentally_ had a more potent effect on Tony's nightmare than he meant to. Perhaps he'd subconsciously made some connection with his dream and caused some kind of fluctuation - but for that moment he wondered if perhaps it _was_ him... but not in the direct sense. Perhaps the influence on the dream was simply Tony's comfort with his presence.

He silently chided himself at the thought. _'Betrayal'_ and _'safety'_ were not words that typically went hand in hand... and for all of his wishful thinking, imagining that Tony was somehow reacting to his presence with this sort of calm was hoping for something far beyond what he ought to. So the alterations being related to him seemed unlikely.

“People I wasn’t able to protect, I don’t remember who they were, but I let them down…” Tony squeezed Stephen’s hand a little tighter and led him onward through the valley of corpses.

As they continued through the thicket the vines took on a more lively disposition and bodies seemed to recede into the ground.

Small songbirds swooped down around them, red and black birds much similar to a cardinal, but could probably be more identified as finches with how they chirruped and lacked the glorifying crest. They danced around the pair as they toed through the thicket until there were no bodies anymore.

Should they turn their gazes to see the trail they blazed they would only find an open meadow, clear as day with the sun shining brightly down.

The pops of colour struck Stephen clearly enough - from amidst the formerly drab and dull nearly-sepia tones, suddenly sprung green and red and blue. He allowed Tony to lead, determined that the man had some idea of where they were meant to go and well aware that the more decisions Tony made on his own in this place, the more insight he'd have coming out of it. But it was an utterly bizarre scene to watch unfold this way.

Just as quickly as the ground swallowed the bodies, green emerged around them as though nurturing the ground they'd fallen upon. It was a very circle of life kind of moment that he couldn't help but notice when it occurred so quickly. The little birds made themselves plainly obvious this time, unlike the simple chirping from the distance he recalled in their last venture, as though they were something Tony was paying attention to in the moment. They were much more distinct than the red _thing_ that had descended upon them last time, almost acting in a guiding manner as they sang their way through the newly changed surroundings.

"And where are we now, Tony? What does this place make you feel?" It looked... oddly familiar to Stephen, though the only way he could place it was to consider that perhaps he was remembering it from Tony's last dream. Why were they here again?

The foliage around them grew thicker still as Tony led them into the heart of the thicket. Leaves, birds growing in flocks, roots rich with wildflower and life larger and ever more present.

The birds would swoop down as if testing the duo, aware of both the dreamer and his companion as they dove and danced down, leading them deeper towards something unknown.

“I don’t know where I’m going, but it reminds me of home, of you even.” He continued to lead Stephen until they were at the base of a massive tree. It’s size would be beyond comparable to a redwood in it’s stature, towering and alive with animals and life. And in the very top the familiar hymn from a large red bird circling as it sang from the treetops.

As much as Stephen wanted to dig his feet in and take a second to interpret the little things as they passed, he allowed Tony to continue to lead the way, struggling with the notion that this place somehow simultaneously reminded Tony of 'home' _and_ of him. But the moment he saw the tree he had an odd sense of understanding.

He wasn't the dreamer in this situation and yet he felt a sense of peace and serenity in this place. A familiarity.

The large red bird with its black throat and chest felt much less foreboding to him this time than it had last time as it was bearing down upon them. This time it simply _was_ ... and the way the magnificent old tree twisted and reached towards the sky felt very much like the Sanctum to him in many ways - but also like something _else_ . Something he couldn't put his finger on. It wasn't anything he'd expected, despite being in the heart of the woods. There was something _unusual_ about the tree as though it was somehow its own entity.

But this was _Tony's_ dream. Why should _he_ have recollections of it?

"Is the tree... 'home'?" Stephen quietly asked, for once not looking to Tony to check for his response as his eyes remained trained on the tree as though somehow there would be a moment of clarity. _Why did he know this place?_

“Yes, home… tree,” Tony mumbled quietly as if he was starting to drift away mentally. He approached the tree and stumbled, laying a hand on one of the massive serpentine roots that jutted from the ground.

Slowly, spores and buds began to sprout around his fingers until they grew and began to snake up his arm and overtake him. The engineer didn’t seem panicked as he let himself seemingly be assimilated by the vines that continued to overtake his body and grow over him.

His eyes shut as the world seemed to disappear around him, slowly being cut off from his guest.

 

* * *

  

As the world slowly faded to black around him, Stephen withdrew from the dream to allow Tony his rest with the words echoing in his mind.

 _Home tree..._ why was that so familiar?

Allowing himself to take over his physical form in the waking world once again, the sorcerer hesitated as he got his bearings once again, watching the sleeping engineer with confusion and uncertainty. As much as he had to think about, he took the briefest of moments to appreciate how peaceful Tony looked asleep as he was. He looked serene and sweet, and as quickly as the words in his mind formed he dismissed the 'handsome' thought that bubbled into his head again by shaking it out.

Pulling himself to his feet, he gave the cloak with a gentle tug before the cloak untucked itself from around Tony and settled on his shoulders again.

Extinguishing each of the candles, Stephen gathered things as quietly as he could before casting one last look back at Tony and exiting the room, lest the light of a portal wake his sleeping patient.

He had a lot of things to think about before their next appointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
> (Amy) twitter.com/marvelwizardmom  
> (Astral) twitter.com/Kraionis


	4. Relax, Take It Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Stephen attempt to let loose for once - or at least Stephen does. Wine? Small talk? What could go wrong.

Tony showed up the next day with a gift card and a bottle of wine. The card would contain Stephen’s payment for their session from last night and he had shown up a bit after noon with both items in hand.

The engineer was lucky enough to be graced with a full night of sleep, he looked well rested as he stood at the front of the Sanctum, waiting to be let in as he rapped on the buildings large doors.

Rather than the doors simply swinging open on their own, the sorcerer stood on the other side of them this time as they parted, observing the engineer on the other side briefly before turning away and gesturing him in.

"Stark. Good afternoon. You certainly  _ look _ as though you’re doing well, how are you feeling?"

“Certainly well rested, that’s for sure. Good afternoon to you too doctor.” He followed the sorcerer into the Sanctum, his suit receding back into its housing as he walked inside. “Here.” He handed Stephen the gift-card and wine-shaped gift-bag.

“So, where should we start with it? The dream from last night? I have a vague recollection of what happened.”

Stephen gave both of the offered items a curious look, before setting them aside on one of the tables and gesturing to the chairs in the sitting room again. "Well, let's start with what you remember."

Tony took a seat across from Stephen in his regular seat. He leaned over on his knees and folded his hands.

“Well, I remember a lot of skulls, a lot of brown at the start… Then we ran somewhere, found a huge tree and there was a giant cardinal and that’s about all I can remember.”

"In the vaguest sense then it sounds like you remembered the majority of the dream." Stephen hummed softly at that, settling into his own chair and watching Tony. "You suggested at the beginning of the dream that you weren't wholly sure where you were. That you thought it was a city, it looked like a forest, but it felt like a cave. Three very distinctly different locations, but... accurate in ways. I didn't get the sense that we were in a cave like you suggested, but it  _ did _ almost feel as though a city had been overtaken by the forest."

The taller man seemed to hesitate, his gaze dropping away for a moment before he took a deep breath and continued on. "Once you started to calm down things became more green for certain. There was an interesting sense of renewal in a circle of life manner. Things that were dead almost felt like they fed new life, greenery sprouted, small birds - finches, I believe? Of some sort? It was hard to say. There are a couple of different types of red and black finches, but they weren't wholly clear to make sense of. They definitely echoed the imagery of the cardinal you keep encountering."

The engineer sat quietly and listened, the words seeming to spark up a renewed recollection on his face in doing so.

“I do remember that part, it’s coming back to me in pieces, and then what about that big tree? I think I did see a cardinal at one point near the end of the dream, but I’m not exactly certain.” His words fell off as he stared back at Stephen expectantly.

"You did. It seemed to be circling the tree tops and... possibly calling you. The birds were certainly guiding you." Stephen nodded. "You didn't hesitate during this dream the same way you did last time, either. You headed for the tree very directly. You said it reminded you of home and you seemed more aware of my presence - though I expect you interpreted my presence as someone else. When you reached the tree..." The sorcerer paused again, looking thoughtful and uncertain.

"It's hard to explain, but in essence you seemed to become  _ part _ of the tree. When the bodies disappeared before they gave way to greenery... and similarly, you began to do the same once you reached the tree. You seemed... very at peace."

“Needless to say your therapy session worked, I’m starting to believe I won’t get another good night’s sleep without you there tucking me in doc.” Tony laughed softly. “Not to forget the cloak either.” He added in after a short pause.

“It seems strange that the motif of my dreams tend to revolve around the exact same thing every time they transition from nightmares. Any idea why it’s happening like this?”

"No. I was trying to determine exactly that myself last night." Stephen's hands rested in his lap, not seeming surprised when at Tony's mention of the cloak the garment in question zoomed down the stairs to settle itself into Tony's lap like an over-eager pup. "There are a few possibilities that I've been considering - the most likely being that whatever this guidance cardinal is has primarily come to focus on helping you get past what you're dealing with now. But why it's only cropping up now that you've started to see me for these sessions I'm not certain. Maybe something in the Sanctum itself saw your distress and felt the need to intervene?"

The doctor sounded very much as though he was contemplating these things as he spoke - thinking aloud, maybe - but he shook his head. "Thus far I haven't found anything catalogued around here that would do that, though. It's possible the ambient magic of the Sanctum touched you when we had our first session, but my presence wasn't directly required for you to get rest the other night, either. You dreamed of the cardinal whether the cloak and I were present or not..."

“I’m flattered that your house would offer me help if that’s the case, it seems like you’re not very familiar with this happening to other people before.” Tony reached up to give the cloak a gentle pet as it squeezed his shoulders excitedly. It’s presence on his shoulders was becoming a much more natural occurrence now.

“I have a feeling it might have something to do with you though… I get the same feeling about you when I’m around it, and vice versa.”

"I've dealt with nightmares before, but not this  _ kind _ of nightmare in others. For the most part when I'm helping others cope with their nightmares those nightmares are being influenced by outside sources intent on causing harm. Your nightmares are very clearly - and reasonably - stemming from trauma. The outsider in this case is  _ me _ , but also that bird perhaps. As far as I can tell, both of the potential intruders to your nightmares are there with the intent of helping you and by all accounts we both appear to be having that kind of effect."

Tony nodded attentively.

“But you mentioned there was a lot of symbolism behind the motif of a cardinal in a dream. It seems a little hard to believe the the Sanctum or whatever source is manifesting this image or this creature is doing so with intent or foresight - unless it’s just coincidence. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fortune cookie as much as the next person...”

"Whether the imagery is something that was manifested magically or is representative of an outside entity, either source could have drawn on that imagery intentionally," Stephen began quietly, his tone clearly instructional. "There's a lot to be said about the kind of power that belief gives things. The more things are interpreted a certain way, the more likely it is for a magical or an otherworldly entity to use a commonly represented symbol that aligns with their message. For some entities using specific imagery is their means of communication, particularly if they have no more direct means of speaking or expressing a message."

“What about the part with the tree… with how it felt like home - and why did you feel the same? Both you and the tree give off that same signature and it was distinctly the same as the first time you guided me through...” Tony trailed off, accepting the previous answer as it was.

Stephen offered a light shrug at that, shaking his head. "You asked me to be there to help you through. It's possible that the knowledge that I was there helped you feel more grounded even as you fell asleep. It could be as simple as a subconscious recognition that I was keeping an eye on things. You were certainly more calm the second time around than the first. But it's hard to say. I haven't quite sorted out what kind of tree it was or looked into the imagery surrounding it much as of yet - I had to sleep at some point myself. But I can look into that for you if you'd like."

Tony nodded slowly. “I guess. Well I’m not sure what else to detail about the dream, did you have anymore instructions for the rest of the week since I won’t be seeing you until next week this day? Any sort of prescriptions or instructions on how I should be getting to sleep?”

"I left the witch hazel mixture on your dresser. One spray per pillow, let it dry before you sleep..." Stephen trailed off after a moment and chuckled softly. "I sound like one of the new-age hippy dippy types I'm sure, but I won't be prescribing you anything at  _ any _ point for this. I don't have full access to your medical records and I don't want to muck around with your body chemistry too much. Otherwise, keep a consistent sleep schedule. The same time every night as much as you can possibly manage. And keep your dream journal handy so that we can go over it next session."

Giving a nod of his own, Stephen smiled. " _ If _ you fall into a cycle of disrupted sleep again prior to our next session, feel free to call. If I'm available - and I'll make every effort to  _ be available _ \- I'll come out and see about getting you to sleep."

“Feel free to muck around with my body chemistry all you want doc, if it gets me a good night’s sleep.” Tony winked in response.

“Seriously, I appreciate it - I put your cheque for last session in there with the card.” Tony paused, there was a moment where he looked as if he really wanted to say something. “If you’re not doing anything else today, you’re free to come over and occupy my couch again.” He laughed, a clear facade to hide some sort of nervousness.

"After what you've been through, I'm happy to be able to provide  _ some _ kind of help, as hokey as it might sound given my... generally varied skillsets." Stephen looked briefly amused before his expression became one of contemplation and his gaze travelled towards the gift-bag that held the wine thoughtfully.

"Hm. Will your little friend be okay with that?"

Tony shook his head with a bark of amusement. He honestly hadn’t expected Stephen to take him up on his offer, but it seemed like it was a simple yes and he was just as happy to jest around with the wizard.

“I’m sure he’d be delighted by your company, honestly. Dum-E doesn’t get a lot of face time with people. You  _ might just be surprised to know _ I don’t let a lot of people down into my work space nowadays. I guess it’s like  _ my own _ personal Sanctum.” The grin on the engineer’s face was wide and reaching.

"I get plenty of visitors!" Stephen piped up with a little wrinkle of his nose. "Too many some days. But I just don't want Dum-E and the cloak to wind up having issues, and the cloak is apparently  _ far _ too excitable about showing off for you." If the cloak recognized that its behaviour was being called out it showed no signs, perfectly content to stay cuddled in its place like a very fancy blanket.

“Maybe your cloak just finds me so damn irresistible, perhaps it has a crush on me? I mean, who could blame it?” It was meant semi-seriously and earned the collar of the cloak curling in to rub against Tony’s neck. Tony in turn crossed his arms to grab both sides of the cloak and wrap it entirely around his midsection, it was just as happy to comply.

“I couldn’t imagine there being issues unless you wanted to keep us apart from each other.” There was a hint of dramatic cadence to Tony’s voice as and leaned into the cloak.

"You watch yourself.  _ It's suggestable.  _ You might get yourself in trouble..." Stephen warned with a hint of mirth as he watched them, before getting to his feet and gathering the bottle of wine. "Shall we get going, then? Or did you want to lounge here for a while?"

“You say that like it’s a  _ bad thing. _ ” Tony purred playfully from the soft folds of the cloak. He felt the fabric contouring to his arms almost like it was actually holding him, the points on it’s collar nudging into the side of his cheek. “And it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing for me either, you’re talking to a guy that’s surrounded by robots and sentient suits. Suits that can do  _ just about anything. _ ”

All joking aside though, Tony stood as soon as Stephen rose to his feet and nodded.

“But let’s go, I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to personally warm your spot on the couch for you, the only downfall here.”

"Generally I would consider you getting yourself in trouble a bad thing, yes." The sorcerer chuckled softly, though there was something odd about his tone as he grabbed the bottle and opened a portal without so much as looking back at the mogul and cloak. "I'll warm the spot just fine, I'm sure. I don't plan on going much of anywhere. I've got a book and a bottle of wine - why would I need to get up?"

Tony felt a nudge from the cloak and he followed him right through. No reserves this time about going through the portal. They both landed in the workshop and the first thing Tony did was retrieve a set of crystal wine-glasses for their beverage.

“This kind of trouble is always welcome, you’re always welcome to  _ join _ me in misbehaving doc, you know, maybe let loose at some point.” There were all too many implications with Tony’s words and that’s exactly what was intended as he walked over and set the glasses down on the table in front of them.

"I'm going to  _ pretend _ like you aren't suggesting things you shouldn't be suggesting with your  _ therapist _ ," Stephen grumbled a little as he set to work opening the bottle with a short spell, before offering it to Tony.

“Oh, what so you can joke about it but I can’t? Relax doc, we’re off the clock - you don’t need to keep the professional game up any longer.” Tony chuckled softly. The cloak in turn lightly ran a corner over Stephen’s hand to try and settle him some.

"With my hands as they are I'm more likely to spill than anything when dealing with pouring this. If you'd be so kind...?"

Tony was a little surprised but immediately scooped up the bottle when Stephen handed it to him.

“Of course, how inhospitable of me!” He leaned over and poured Stephen a glass of the wine and likewise a portion for himself before handing it the sorcerer.

"Don't think I'm not watching  _ you, _ " Stephen warned the cloak, only  _ lightly _ teasing as Tony dealt with pouring the wine. He turned his attentions on Tony finally as he sunk into a seat on the couch.

"Hardly inhospitable." The sorcerer responded with a small smile as he lifted one of the hands in question to take the wine glass. "I don't tend to expect most people to think about things like that. So thank you for the accommodation. And cheers."

“What kind of host would I be if I made you pour your own glass of wine?” Tony procured his own glass and tipped the crystal lip forward to lightly clang against Stephen’s.

The cloak had recoiled playfully, curling around Tony’s arm but not so much to hinder his movements. Tony in this time had also taken a sip from his glass.

"I'm sure your cloak gets away with plenty when you're not looking... I'm surprised you haven't given it a name."

Rather than answering, Stephen simply sipped at his own wine, before giving a little chuckle. "It's not my place to name the cloak. It's considerably older than I am and if it ever had a name at this point it's been lost to time. It's just the Cloak of Levitation. Levi, sometimes, if it's being particularly affectionate."

“It’s human enough in it’s show of affection I figured a name would be an appropriate way to regard it. Levi is  _ cute _ , easy to say - easier than calling it Cloak of Levitation.” Tony took another sip from his glass, feeling the fabric tighten a little once more around his shoulders.

“I don’t think I’ve ever asked how you happened across it. Is there a story there?” Tony grinned, attention fully on Stephen’s face.

"It might be, but while a name humanizes it the last thing I'd want to do is give it a name that it feels infantilizes it. For all I know it had some grand title that's been steadily dulled down to the point that it's simply known as the Cloak of Levitation. I just call it cloak most times. But it doesn't seem entirely off put by being called Levi, at least by me." The sorcerer looked to the cloak briefly, sipping his wine and watching it mold itself against Tony from whatever angle it could.

" _ Levi _ ," he began, making an effort to use something  _ like _ a name for it, "Was one of the relics in the Sanctum when I first visited the New York Sanctum. It saved my life and just... stayed with me after that. It's been about the best companion I could ask for."

“Would you say it practically…  _ swept you off of your feet? _ ” Tony had to suppress a chuckle, putting his wine glass over onto the table before he spilled any of it. “That’s the dream? A sweet thing like this coming into your life like that - and Levi is fully sentient too. I wish  _ I had a companion like that. _ ” He clicked his tongue and winked.

Giving Tony a long look over the top of his glass, Stephen sighed heavily and took another sip. 

"... honestly? Yes. It did rather  _ sweep me off my feet _ . And has many times since. Sometimes during times I'd rather my feet firmly on the ground. As for  _ you, _ " the sorcerer mused, "Didn't you say something about sentient suits? I'm sure if you wanted to be swept off your feet it wouldn't be so  _ hard _ ."

“Actually yes, I did - but it’s all just a program, A.I. And yes I’ve had them sweep me off my feet and then  _ so much more _ . You don’t build a legion of suits and not play around a bit with ‘em. They’re basically giant  _ toys _ .” The engineer smirked. “But the cloak, Levi, is a self-thinking entity, completely autonomous! It’s like having a friend that’s always there for you...”

If Stephen's sip of wine was a little bigger than the last one, no one had to know. His cheeks were a little on the rosy side when he emerged from the other side of his class - inebriation or embarrassment was hard to tell - and he gave Tony a level stare. 

"Yes. It's exactly like having a friend that's always there for you. A friend that keeps you warm at night and safe in battle and has no issues picking you up and dragging you around like a petulant kitten. Levi is an amazingly good and handy kind of friend to have."

“With how fondly you talk about it, I feel like there could possibly be a little more to the story between the two of you… especially if you have  _ pet names _ for when it’s being  _ affectionate. _ ” Tony drawled, reaching for his glass and drawing some amusement in the red on Stephen’s cheeks. 

This was a side of Stephen he’d never seen before and he was really enjoying it. The sorcerer looked adorable lodged in his corner of the couch - he could read the embarrassment on his cheeks plain as day and given what Tony did best -  _ he pushed the subject. _

"Do you not have  _ nicknames _ you use for your friends in particular circumstances?" The sorcerer inquired, cradling his wine glass between his hands. "It saved my life, like I said. It's been with me through situations no one else has, even knowing in advance that it might come to harm, and it didn't hesitate. Relics like the cloak... they aren't something that a sorcerer chooses. The relic makes the choice. Levi chose me. I don't know  _ why _ and I may  _ never _ know... but that fussy, fickle, bizarre  _ blanket _ -" the cloak ruffled a little at that, though it seemed more like it was laughing than offended, "-chose me. And it might be the most loyal, reliable friend I've ever had."

“Well there’s Friday, Butterfingers or Dum-E, you can pick your flavour on that one. Aside from them I don’t really give my tech names all that often.” Tony trailed off. 

“But just to appease you, how about I name one of my suits after you, that would be a laugh!” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. The cloak seemed to ripple once again in amusement, reaching over to wrap the end of the closest side around Stephen’s arm.

"I was thinking more your human friends, admittedly." Stephen chuckled softly, though as he seemed to recognize the connotations of Tony's statement he lifted his free arm to sip at the wine again with a stifled mutter. 

"I... don't think you need to name any suits after me. I think I'm about as done with the 'strange' pun as one can get." He offered the cloak a small smile, though, patting it gently and not attempting to recoil away from it in the slightest.

“Who ever said I was going to name it Strange?” Tony joked softly. He watched Stephen take another harsh sip of his wine. He hadn’t picked out an expensive brand, but had he known Stephen was going to just drink it down like juice he would have offered something more potent like a shot of whiskey or a drink with a bit more of a kick.

“As for human friends - I have a lot of work acquaintances, none I would consider close like you and the cloak. Rhodes possibly? Maybe Pepper but no one that I see on a regular basis nearly as much as you and Levi are around each other. I think at that point I’d be looking for a significant other.”

"For your consideration - maybe the only reason the cloak and I are so close is because the cloak can't talk back? Did you think of that?" The sorcerer responded with a bit of a crooked smile, though he gave the cloak another affectionate pat.

“Right I’m starting to see that… Must be hard sometimes just snarking at yourself? Really puts emphasis on the silence.” Tony gestured, taking another drink of his own wine, though this time much larger of a gulp.

_ If Stephen was going to be drinking like that, might as well get caught up with him. _

"I hardly need to snark at myself." Stephen laughed a little, shaking his head. "No, when it's quiet I tend to appreciate the silence. Not that Levi isn't perfectly capable of communicating in its own way if it wants to. As you've noticed it's rather  _ expressive, _ " He smiled fondly at the cloak.

“And here I thought you had a quota to fill when we first butted heads - I know if I don’t get out and sass at least one human being per day my entire world collapses in on itself!” He teased lightly. Tony reached over to grab the open bottle of wine seeing that Stephen had downed his glass at this point and offered him some more.

“Looking a little empty there, let me top that up for you…”

"That explains a lot about you, to be honest." The sorcerer smirked a little, though it didn't last long as he watched Tony refill his glass with curiosity. "Hmm... thank you. When you offered me a spot on your couch I thought you'd be working again, not that you meant to be an alcohol enabler. Should I be concerned?"

“I’m an unpredictable man and yes you should be concerned. You should know that I don’t like being handed things, but I do like handing things to other people. Rule number one about me, don’t accept a drink from me and you’ve already broken that so there’s really no hope for you doc.” Tony tipped the bottle and filled Stephen’s glass up a  _ little more than a normal glass of wine would be _ .

"Hey, careful! I don't want to spill! Shaky hands, remember?" Stephen warned as the glass filled, though his expression was one of entertainment. "Mister Stark, are you trying to get me  _ drunk _ ? Is that the plan here? You should know I'm a very sleepy drunk."

Tony rolled his eyes and reached a hand over to steady Stephen’s, lightly holding the sorcerer.

“Oh no what a terrible thing it would be if you ended up spilling wine all over yourself and we had to get you out of those clothes.” Another breathy laugh escaped, the wine starting to hit him and… influence his speech. “You’re more than welcome to pass out on my couch if it comes to that.”

"You really can't help yourself, can you?" Stephen asked absently, watching the hand that was settled on his rather than the mogul himself. After a moment, he brought the glass to his lips to at least try and make the fullness of the glass more manageable. "I really might wind up passing out on your couch, so just remember that you offered."

“Have you had a problem passing out on people’s couches before?” Tony gave him a questioning look and let go of Stephen’s hand, having felt something in his chest softly fade as he let his hand fall to his side. The cloak ruffled a little excitedly and he soon enough pat it on the collar.

"Usually only the couch in the staff room at the hospital for reasons unrelated to alcohol. Though once or twice I wound up an unintentional overnighter at places after a few drinks." The sorcerer murmured softly. 

As a small chime sounded the sorcerer patted around at his side before pulling out a little black phone that had lit up with the name 'Christine' that left Stephen to give it a contemplative look for a moment, though he simply sipped a little more wine as he tucked the phone away.

“Stephen, you don’t need to worry about falling asleep on the couch, it’s fine. I’m sure in this massive compound I could accept that you need to occupy the most minute of spaces. When was the last time you actually got a chance to just  _ let loose? _ ” Tony only rolled his eyes, though he did seem surprised when Stephen looked down at his phone as he received a new alert.

"... med school?" Stephen offered by way of answer, sipping at his wine once more before setting it aside and pulling out his phone again to slowly ( _ painfully slowly, _ it was a little hard to watch) attempt to type out a response on his phone to the text he'd received. "... mmm yeah, probably med school. I don't know how  _ you _ balance heroism and relaxation, but I stick to books lately... never know when something might come up."

“Hot date I presume?” Tony wiggled his eyebrows though a part of him felt somewhat sunken in at the idea of Stephen already being involved with someone else. He kept that cheshire grin none-the-less.

Tony sat back into the other corner of the couch, the cloak offering a reassuring little squeeze to him.

The sorcerer scoffed quietly as he finished his message and tucked the phone away with a shake of his head, his hands reaching to cradle the wine glass again. "Hardly. That's a relationship rather beyond repair at this point."

“Hey you never know, could always try? I know I can be pretty persistent when I want something.” Tony seemed to ease a bit with Stephen’s admittance, though he couldn’t let on that this in some way affected him even in the slightest.

"We used to date," Stephen confessed quietly, watching the glass in his hands thoughtfully, before shrugging with a shoulder. "But I was callous and cruel, and I pushed her away. She deserves better than that, and more stability than I can give her. We're just friends and I'm okay with that."

“Well, do you still have feelings for her?” Tony tilted his head and inquired softly, genuinely curious. He took another swig of his wine, not realizing that he was starting to approach Stephen's level.

Stephen cast him a sidelong glance, tilting his head in return. "Do you still have feelings for Ms. Potts?"

Tony wasn’t expecting that sort of response, but he thought for a moment, leaning into the back of the couch.

“I can’t say I’m over her… I guess I do in a way, but I guess like yourself, that’s something that couldn’t really be revisited. There’s reasons, many but specific that it didn’t work out between us.” Tony shrugged his shoulders.

He felt a cavity deep in his chest, another swig would be the answer - and so he took it.

"Maybe in another life I might've married Christine. But there are too many incompatibilities involved these days, and too many things that went wrong. At this point I see her most often when I'm in the hospital either with my own injuries or bringing someone with injuries in..." 

The sorcerer sighed in acknowledgement of Tony's words, sipping at his wine. "We can't even seem to schedule brunch between her work schedule and my responsibilities lately... that doesn't bode well for a healthy a relationship. So I don't think that that's a relationship likely to be revisited."

“If it makes you feel better we could do next week’s session as a brunch? Just to make things a little less, you know… clinical, and more casual.” Tony tipped his glass towards Stephen before it came right back to him as he took a swig. “But if it makes you feel any better, I think you and I have that in common… My obligation to being a defender of the Earth was a major point of contention between Pep and I.”

"Our brunches used to be a fairly out in public affair - that's not exactly the best setting for your sessions. Besides, they're  _ supposed _ to be clinical, remember?" After a pause, the sorcerer gave Tony a confused look, "and how often do your 'clinical' sessions involve you stripping down to your boxers and having your doctor tuck you in, anyway?"

“Hey! You’re a doctor, you’ve seen and been through worse! I’m just trying to make things more casual - which by the way is totally fine with me! Public is A-OK on my watch.” Tony lopped an arm over on the couch backing, propping his head up on his elbow. “I actually know an awesome place in Brooklyn, an easy feat for two studs like us that can go anywhere we want.”

He felt a soft push from the cloak which he resisted.

"Look I'm not  _ complaining _ about it, I'm legitimately concerned about the kinds of doctors you've been seeing if you consider full at home service to be 'clinical.'" Stephen sighed heavily, sipping at his wine and shaking his head. It was a few moments more before the sorcerer spoke again.

"What are you thinking?"

“I’m thinking… maybe a casual flare to things will help a little - help the both of us? Not that I want to cramp your style doc but maybe you need to relax a little. Have some fun once in a while!” Tony stuck his neck out as if to prove a point, staring into Stephen’s grey-blue eyes.

“Have fun, maybe we could even dress up all nice for one of these sessions. And if you’re really worried, you’re on my payroll so don’t.” He added softly and went so far as to nudge Stephen in the shoulder with a knuckle.

"What do you think I'm doing here? Drinking  _ far _ too much wine, spending time here with you on your couch instead of spending time organizing the Sanctum's library? Not letting loose doesn't mean I don't at least make an effort to relax at times. My version of relaxing just generally involves more... meditation..." Trailing off, Stephen looked away from Tony's gaze with a slight flush to his cheeks. "I guess that doesn't sound particularly exciting for someone like you, but... the rest of my life is exciting enough. It's nice to have a few quiet moments to just stop and appreciate life."

Lifting his glass to his lips again, the sorcerer took only a small sip though his gaze was drawn back to Tony by the nudge. "Dress up...? I thought you wanted to make things  _ less _ formal."

“Less formal, or an excuse to see what you actually look like in normal, formal attire. And by the way - part of my next payment will be a nice damn outfit so you basically have no excuse at this point.” Tony took another swig from his glass, rolling the liquid around in the crystal.

Stephen looked absolutely adorable, and he knew the sorcerer was growing flustered and even some parts receptive to his gentle banter.

"Stark there are literally pictures online of me in formal wear... or in scrubs if that's more your thing, but I used to do suits plenty enough. It's not hard to find that if that's what you're looking for! You really don't need to go to all the lengths of buying me a suit for a brunch session..."

“Yeah but not with that charming face-piece of yours.” He teased softly. His glass was empty but he wasn’t about to refill it as he set it down and then leaned back into the embrace of the cloak.

“So shoot me if I want to have a little fun and make things unconventional!”

Stephen made a quiet, noncommittal noise at that as he sipped at his wine again. "I guess if you want to go on playing dress up I won't stop you. Still can't recommend having a public session - especially for someone like you who tends to draw attention which might be disruptive to the conversation we're attempting to have, but... perhaps brunch before or after a session...?"

“I like your style. Brunch before works! Then if you need to do another dream analysis I can just pass out from a food coma!” Tony lifted his drink and took a sip.

He reached for the bottle again ready to pour Stephen  _ yet another _ glass.

“Running low doc, no regrets - you’re taking it easy!”

" _ You're _ trying to get me  _ drunk, _ " The sorcerer accused with the faintest hint of a playful pout. He sipped at the refilled wine glass regardless of the accusation however, leaning back against the couch with a slight smile. "I can just imagine a food-coma induced dream would be very food related... could be interesting."

“I second that, it probably would!” Tony scooted over to Stephen and slid his fingers over Stephen's, just like before. He wasted no opportunity tracing along the undersides of his digits as he settled them in between Stephen’s in the process of steadying the glass.

“I’m just trying to make sure you have a good time…” Tony purred softly and filled Stephen’s glass up again. However he kept his hand there indulgently, waiting for Stephen to pull away from him.

"I'm having a wonderful time, thank you mister enabler," The sorcerer retorted, accepting the aid in stabilizing his hand at least, though he spent time observing Tony's hand on his with a certain curiosity. "Is this one of the days that you had free? Or are you playing hooky?"

“Let me ask you this, would it matter if it was free or if I was playing hooky?” Tony smirked, his hand gently squeezing Stephen’s as he saw the sorcerer making no attempts to pull away from him. He’d set the bottle down on the table at this point.

"If you get in trouble for playing hooky, I'm not defending you y'know." Stephen tsked softly, sinking a little further into his spot but continuing to hold his glass rather firmly even as he gave a small yawn. "'m not your keeper. Not my responsibility. And I pity whomever  _ is _ your keeper - I imagine you're impossible to keep track of."

“I think you mean handler, doc. But you can keep me if you want.” In that moment as Tony leaned in the cloak decided to wrap around the both of them and pull them together. It was unexpected, Tony yelped a little but wasn’t really disappointed with the outcome - more, surprised.

The sorcerer, on the other hand, looked somewhat startled himself as his wine spilled (luckily only a little, easy enough to clean up) and his gaze fell on Tony's face. He looked very much like a deer in the headlights in that moment, shifting uncertainly before giving the cloak an accusing look. "I'm sorry... I'll clean up the... mess..."

“Hey, ease up, will ya?” He cackled softly and waved a hand. “I could lick it up but I think there’s still tons in the bottle…” He leaned his glass in again against Stephen to toast him as he took another drink.

If the cloak was insisting that they sit near each other, Tony certainly had no complaints about it. It was almost as if the cloak had read his thoughts. Stephen was warm, very warm and he thought it was so charming how he just got so bashful from it all.

The cloak bundled contentedly against the two men as Stephen quickly cleaned up the wine with a short hand gesture. There was a certain tenseness in his form again as he curled his hands firmly around the wine glass after his spell, making certain that it wouldn't tip again even as he brought it to his lips for a hurried sip in response to the toast.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten in to that cloak lately. It's been acting oddly for days now..."

“No complaints here, I’m pretty comfortable. You’re warm.” Tony simply stayed put, sipping at his glass. “Is it usually this friendly and implicit with all your company?” The glass lowered and sat in both of Tony’s hands.

He was enjoying this, it was really nice - _ he’d have to thank the cloak later for this. _

"I told you - warned you even - that it was suggestable." Stephen responded quietly, shifting only slightly in his spot. "And you've been very encouraging of it's behaviours, so I suppose it's decided it's allowed to get away with all of this, which it  _ doesn't _ usually... mind you, usually it's just dealing with me. Sometimes Christine, but it's never been as taken with her as it seems to be with you."

“I’m going to stop you right there, because to be fair _ I can be pretty suggestable too.  _ I guess it doesn’t really help either of our causes but - here we are!” The cloak squeezed, Tony grinned and Stephen...?

Well, Stephen didn't look at all pleased about this.

“I think it’s two against one here doc.”

"Two against one in favour of what, precisely? The cloak being pushy? Affection?" He inquired into his wine glass, his gaze fixed on some point in front of him. It was hard to say  _ what _ he was looking at, but it  _ clearly _ wasn't Tony or the cloak. After another sip, he gave the cheeky pair an appraising look and sighed. "But at least you look comfortable."

“I mean, I am comfortable there’s no doubt about that.” He leaned back into the couch more and wiggled his arm into a more  _ comfortable _ position, which would have been around the back of the couch - I.E around Stephen’s shoulders.

“Two against one in favour of relaxing and being chill doc.” Tony leaned some into Stephen’s side to emphasize his point.

"I  _ was _ relaxing! I  _ was _ being chill!" Stephen insisted with a small huff, though despite his protests he didn't pull away or adjust more than to sag into his spot some and continue to sip at his wine once again, emptying his glass and setting it aside. "But if y'keep this up... 'm gonna fall asleep like this. Then y'll be stuck."

“You know, that just wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if it really boiled down to it. I’m pretty comfortable right now, and I can only assume Levi is too, isn’t that right bud?” Once mentioned the cloak curled it’s far corner around Stephen’s arm and squeezed them both.

Tony downed the rest of his glass and melted into the cushion of the sofa.

" _ You _ are supposed to be keeping regular sleeping schedules... no falling asleep on the couch.  _ Forming good habits, _ " Stephen reminded him with a soft mumble, lifting a hand to pet the cloak gently and resting his head back against the back of the couch - and Tony's arm - with a clearly drowsy expression.

“I’m allowed at least one night to take it easy! Well… You’re the doctor, but you’re also inebriated… But we’re off the clock so your opinion doesn’t matter right now...” Tony snickered softly. He gave Stephen’s shoulders a comforting squeeze, almost like a half hug.

" _ Tony _ my opinion is in the best interests for y'r well being." The doctor reasoned, though his eyes had closed and he'd settled in his spot, petting the cloak absently and otherwise relaxing. A small yawn slipped from him before he cracked an eye open to look at the mogul. "Witch hazel. Spritz. Get good sleep. Y'need it."

The brunette gave Stephen another gentle squeeze. He wanted to sit there and just enjoy Stephen’s company but there was also the therapy they still needed to do. He was basically beside himself, and that wasn’t to say if he couldn’t get Stephen over once again considering how easy it was this time to convince him.

It felt so casual.

“Alright, I should probably get some blankets for your drunk ass.” Tony chuckled softly, peeling himself out from under the cloak and retrieving a couple pillows and blankets. 

He’d set Stephen down gently so he was reclined across the sofa, tossing a blanket on over his shoulders and neatly tucking the pillows under his head. The last touch was a water-bottle on the floor beside him in case he needed it. Stephen made a soft noise as he was adjusted, a quiet murmuring of 'g'night' as he snuggled and settled in to the little couch nest Tony had created for him. 

“I’m assuming you’re going to stay here and make sure he’s well taken care of - but Friday’s watching anyway,” Tony spoke quietly to the cloak.

Seemingly satisfied with Tony's work, the cloak fluttered up to curl around the mogul again, rubbing at his cheeks and sides, making it plenty clear the cloak intended to stick with him. The engineer quirked a brow but he wasn’t about to protest the cloak’s company, it was just curious. He’d assumed it would have at least been interested in sticking with Stephen while he was asleep.

He gave Stephen one last soft smile before he retreated to his apartment which was one floor above. Friday would be there to accompany Stephen if he needed anything in the night so there was no worry there.

Running a hand through his hair, Tony found himself thinking about the sorcerer. He was harboring some pretty distinct, soft feelings for that had only arisen as of late. It was nice, and it looked like the table would be free for him to jest and flirt with Stephen to his heart’s content should he go down that path.

He stripped down to his boxers, having to shrug off the cloak once again that seemed to hover just beside him  _ almost watching _ as he removed everything but his underwear. Tony felt like the cloak had eyes at that moment, and was looking him over but that thought he quickly scrapped because it felt so nonsensical.

The alcohol had stirred him some, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t sleep off as he followed Stephen’s instructions, spritzing his primary pillows and slipping into bed. 

_ The cloak was quick to join him. _

 

* * *

 

“Sooo…” He began softly in a gravelly voice. Cheeks rosey, breathing - winded. 

“I should probably get you cleaned up, because I was dumb and I didn’t think ahead...” He laughed sheepishly as he voiced his concerns to the cloak. 

“Then again I think it’s fair to hold you slightly responsible for all of this...” He muffled into the cloak’s collar affectionately. "Not that I'm complaining, because…  _ That was a ride. _ "

The collar nudged at his face with clear excitement, pleased with the praise before pressing a light touch to Tony’s lip and carefully disentangling itself from Tony to seek out the bathroom of its own accord. 

Apparently it understood what Tony meant by cleaning up because water was running in the bathroom long before Tony could climb out of bed.

“Hey, you know I could have carried you, I wasn’t quite through with cuddles!” He skipped over to the bathroom afterwards grabbing some laundry detergent and fabric softener in his venture. He barely had any time to appreciate the  _ afterglow _ , too stricken by panic at the time.

He poured the detergent and fabric softener into the basin and gently patted the cloak with the back of his knuckles.

“Alright, in you go.”

Giving a little shiver - or a shimmy, really it was hard to judge precisely what the cloak was doing - the garment dipped the messy part of it into the water, the remaining fabric draping lightly outside of the area to cuddle around Tony’s waist. It seemed perfectly content as it was, the waterlogged portion of it churning up some bubbles in the water easily enough and managing to at least rinse itself reasonably well on its own.

Tony debated for a moment before shrugging off his reserves and stepping in with the cloak.

Of all things, Tony expected to be taking a bath, soaked with a magical cloak. It was at the point of no return and he figured there couldn’t possibly any worse level he could sink to in this state.

And then he realized, _ he had a crush on Stephen. _

… After being jacked off by his cloak.

_ ‘Oh and also said crush is passed out on couch downstairs because you got him drunk Tony.’ _

The engineer shook his head.

He dove his hands into the watery fabric, swishing it around, scrubbing at the  _ offended _ area of fabric.

As Tony joined it, the cloak took to washing the mogul in turn, covering the man with suds and water and rubbing itself gently over Tony’s shoulders and chest. It avoided the reactor with water but clearly showed an interest in the thing regardless, nudging at it curiously again before moving along to wash his stomach and sides.

“It powers my suits, helps me to fly. I don’t have my own cloak like you...” He rasped softly, sinking into the water and the weight of the cloak wrapped around him.

“It’s waterproof, don't worry if that’s what you’re concerned about.” Tony offered softly, arms rolling through the tubes of fabric as he rubbed generously and carefully at the part that had been draped over top of him.

"Now if only the wizard was half as sweet as you."

With the clarification given, the cloak made no issues of splashing around the reactor to make sure Tony was as clean as laundry soap was going to get him. Once it was content with his front, it curled around behind the engineer to give him a hug that doubled as a scrubbing, rubbing over the plains of Tony’s back and down over his ass.

It was oddly clear that Levi wasn’t making any efforts to be sexual about its cleaning, simply washing and moving on with efficiency, but it was a bit much for Tony regardless, with the movements of the cloak over his bare skin making him shiver. It eventually pulled itself away from the brunette a little to wring itself out some before giving a little shake.    
  
Twirling around a little in its spot, it made a display of being mostly clean, though it would need a good rinsing before it was ready to be thoroughly dried off and returned to the bed for cuddles.

He reached over to turn on the shower-head to rinse himself off. It seemed the cloak had cleaned itself off but Tony was still coated in water and soap. Aiming the nozzle of the showerhead, he playfully sprayed the cloak in an attempt to rinse it off.

Giving a little spin, the cloak seemed more than happy to endure the spraying, getting itself properly rinsed before wringing itself out easily enough. Clearly not entirely dry the garment still floated over to gather Tony’s towel for him, hovering just outside of the bath in its now vaguely damp but clearly clean state, simply awaiting the engineer with a playfully excited swishing of its lower corners.

Oddly, Levi seemed to dry off rather rapidly after the fact, the darker red that had marked where it was damp swiftly evaporating into the more typical vibrant red the cloak typically donned.

Tony had rinsed himself off and the cloak, then slowly made his way towards the bed with a sleepy grin.

“I think we solved that problem.” He mumbled quietly, having taken the cloak into his arms softly and carry it back to his bed with him. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind joining me, I’m ready to head to sleep and cuddle up with a certain cloak.” Tony joked a bit more confidently.

Bundling itself around Tony’s waist as though to offer some modesty and otherwise draping itself over his arms, the cloak put up zero protest to being carried around or the notion of cuddles. It seemed happy to reach out a corner to tug back the blankets though, warming slightly in his hold to keep his damp form from getting too chilled. 

Tony tugged Levi under the warm sheets with him, wrapping both arms around the already dry cloak. He sunk his face into the red fabric, bringing his knees up to curl in on himself.

“Remember, not a word of this to Stephen…” He mumbled quietly as he started to drift off.

The cloak gave a single pat of acknowledgement once more, bundling the engineer up and petting his hair in a gentle, soothing manner.   
  
Despite it being a bit later than Tony’s recommended bed time, the pillows still smelled of witch hazel and the cloak offered a combination of warmth and cooling at varying points. It seemingly adjusted to Tony’s body temperature to keep him from overheating the way someone might expect from having an additional blanket added to the mix - especially one as hefty as the cloak. 

As bed partners went the cloak  _ apparently _ had made efforts to be about as considerate as one could hope.

Tony curled up soundly with the cloak, the fabric being bunched up into his arms as he tucked the comforter overtop of them. Needless to say that sleep was just as relaxed that night, specifically and mostly dreamless with the cloak’s presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
> (Amy) twitter.com/marvelwizardmom  
> (Astral) twitter.com/Kraionis
> 
> [Outtakes for this chapter can be found here.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465832)


	5. Suit & Tie

When Tony woke up the following morning, the cloak was nowhere to be found. 

The engineer took his time getting out of bed, wondering if he at all dreamed up what had happened last night - but given by the state of disarray his bathroom was in with towels all over the floor, he  _ certainly had  _ engaged with Stephen’s cloak. Not to mention, Friday had recorded footage as well and had confirmed (embarrassingly enough) how things had gone down last night.

Tony went down to the workshop to check on Stephen, assuming the cloak was down there with him.

The sorcerer, it seemed, hadn’t moved from the couch - though he made quite a sight. 

Stephen sat bundled up in two of the blankets Tony had left for him, looking somewhat disheveled and out of sorts. By the combined efforts of Friday, Dum-E and the cloak, Stephen apparently had been presented with a platter of fruit salad, bacon and eggs, a glass of water and a cup of some kind of tea, all of which had been slightly picked at thus far. 

The cloak, despite being draped atop the other two blankets over Stephen, seemed to be having some kind of interaction with Dum-E, with the two flailing at each other a bit and Dum-E beeping excitedly. Stephen watched them with tired amusement, though the moment the cloak noticed Tony’s entrance it broke off from its spot to circle Tony briefly, plopping itself down on his shoulders and prodding at his cheeks in affectionate greeting.

Stephen’s gaze followed the cloak and he offered a small smile to Tony as he noticed him. “Good morning, Stark. I hope you slept well?”

Tony had to roll his eyes as Stephen continued to refer to him as ‘Stark’. Though, the greeting sparked something in him, he was excited to see the sorcerer.

“Come on doc, I think we’re beyond ‘ _ Stark’ _ at this point, you know you can call me Tony, right?” He was still reeling a little from the cloak rushing him which  _ thoroughly _ reaffirmed what had gone down last night as he offered the cloak an affectionate pat. He did however find it incredibly amusing that his AI had been doting on Stephen since before he had even come down.

"- and  _ you could say that _ … How about you?" There was a momentary pause as his gaze flicked to the cloak and back at the sorcerer on his couch rather quickly before he laughed.

The other man gave him a puzzled look, before shaking his head and simply giving a small shrug. “I slept fine. I don’t  _ entirely _ remember falling asleep, but you’re definitely not allowed to be in charge of pouring drinks anymore.”

Stephen paused to sip at his water, before looking back to Tony and the cloak - which was happily pushing its way into Tony’s hand as though enjoying the pets. “I hadn’t eaten nearly enough to be getting  _ that _ intoxicated and you’re apparently quite the enabler. Why I didn’t see  _ that _ coming I’ll never know.”

“Hey! You can’t put this all on me, you have to hold a degree of accountability for last night. Besides, you enjoyed yourself and I think that could at least count for something.” Tony sat down with the cloak on the other side of the couch, leaning over on his knees.

“Isn’t that what’s important?” He grinned at the sleepy doctor, finding him absolutely adorable.

Stephen pointed an accusatory finger at Tony for a moment, giving him a rather scrutinizing look before chuckling and using the index finger of accusation to snag a piece of bacon to chew on.

“I  _ suppose _ I’m the one who brought the wine over here in the first place.” The sorcerer agreed after his bacon had been fully finished off.

He leaned back into the couch some with a soft sigh. “But yes. I had fun I suppose. For all I know Greenwich Village might be a pile of rubble, but I’m assuming someone would have let me know if there was an issue…”

It sounded very much as though the sorcerer was making an effort to justify having fun to himself. In the grand scheme of things, Stephen really was still something of a newcomer to the field of heroism and the stresses and anxieties that came with the territory.

“I see Friday and Dum-E have you very well taken care of.” Tony was clearly indicating to the indulgent spread of food in front of the sorcerer. He gave a gentle tug to the collar of the cloak.

To be honest it took a lot of self control not to slide into the corner next to the wizard and join him. It seemed every time he looked at or thought about the wizard he was battling emotions pertaining to him.

“To be honest I woke up to the smell of bacon - and I’ll admit, the notion of sleeping through the scent of bacon seems impossible to me. But clearly there’s a lot more than bacon. At first I thought you’d had a hand in it, but Friday insisted you were still asleep so…” The sorcerer chuckled softly, “I guess it was just cloak and Dum-E under Friday’s guidance?”

There was a softness to the other’s smile as he helped himself to some of the fruit salad after sprinkling the smallest amount of sugar on it. “Which was very thoughtful of all of them. And thank  _ you _ for leaving the water… I certainly needed plenty of  _ that. _ ”

“Ah so those two are conspiring against me now are they?” Tony looked over to Dum-E and Friday softly chimed in with a ‘wouldn’t dream of it boss.’ It simply made Tony chuckle softly.

“If you need any more water let me know - also, we gotta work out when we’re going to get you fitted for that suit… You know, the one for when we have that not-so-casual lunch or dinner date.” Tony leaned on the back of the sofa.

Stephen looked contemplative for a moment before finishing off his water and offering the glass to Tony with a small smile. “If you’re not terribly opposed, though I do have tea as well.” He took an indulgent sip of the aforementioned tea, before looking at Tony a little more curiously.

“I thought the idea was brunch? Earlier on in the day, between breakfast and lunch? In theory around 11AM depending on when we conclude your session. But you do know you don’t… have to buy me a suit right? You’ve been incredibly generous so far, I’m sure I could manage to figure out  _ something _ on my own…”

“Just because it’s brunch doesn’t mean we can't have fun with it and dress up. You still haven’t realized that I do like to have a certain flare in the things I do.” Tony took the glass from Stephen and trekked over to the water cooler to refill it for him.

“It’s just but one of the  _ many _ perks of working for me. So yeah, I have to do it.” He flashed Stephen a lopsided grin as he walked back over. He’d been buttering the sorcerer up a little too much, he wasn’t sure if he should rightfully mention that he had much more planned than brunch and it was  _ more for himself  _ than for Stephen.

“I’m well aware, but you seemed to have forgotten the  _ timing _ surrounding our going out. That was all I meant to clarify - I never suggested that it didn’t mean we should dress well for wherever it is you’ve decided we’re going that requires a  _ suit _ ...” The sorcerer grumbled a bit, though he looked at the glass Tony held and gave him a curious look before returning to his meal.

“But fine. I mean, I’m already here, we might as well get that over with? … after food. This is surprisingly good.”

“That’s not to say that it wouldn’t be used for other occasions if you catch my drift.” He gave a playful click of his teeth, leaning back into the back of the couch to look suave. With how much resistance Stephen seemed to argue his point with he didn’t expect the sorcerer to simply comply - which was surprising and so very welcome.

“I’ll let you finish your feast there and we’ll go when you're ready then!”

Finally reaching to gather the glass from Tony with a soft ‘thank you,’ Stephen sighed softly and sipped at it before resting it on the tray with the rest of his food. 

“What about you? You should probably eat something as well. If you’re thinking of leaving without eating then I’m definitely concerned about your general habits. Or are you one of those people who feels sick when they eat immediately after waking?” He watched Tony even as he continued to work on his breakfast - pointedly not speaking with his mouth full, nor hurrying his eating any as he did.

“That thing you said earlier, yeah I usually have a queasy stomach in the morning and don’t eat until lunch time. The feast is for you my fine friend. But you can go ahead and fight me on that, it’s an uphill battle for you.” Tony appreciated the concern, it was sweet and endearing. Though of all people to criticize his eating habits  _ it would be a doctor. _

“Given how active the lifestyle you lead is, I’d generally recommend at least a  _ little _ something to keep you going during the day. Naturally we don’t want you getting sick, however…” Stephen hummed to himself pensively as he continued to eat.

“Well, before we get going I suppose I ought to change. I can only imagine the looks a tailor might give me for walking into their store in…  _ this _ ...” He gestured to his robes with his free hand and the cloak shifted a little to start nudging the blankets off of Stephen’s shoulders, making a place for itself. “No that means you too, friend. You can spend a little time at the Sanctum with Wong, hm?”

“Aww doc, it’s so sweet that you care about me! Though it can be our little secret, we can’t have it getting out that you’re actually…  _ nice. _ ” Tony cackled softly and nudged his shoulder with a playful knuckle.

“Well you could, it would probably be hilarious…” Tony looked over at the cloak and gave it a small smile. “Can’t he turn into something stylish? I’m sure the cloak would just as much appreciate you in a suit as I would….”

“Oh don’t read into it so much. You being healthy and well off is important to me as you’re a protector of this world.” Stephen pointedly didn’t look at him as he spoke, picking at his fruit salad. “Being in good mental and physical health is a priority for you to do that well. That’s all.”

The cloak seemed not to agree with Stephen’s assessment regarding being left behind either, taking Tony’s queue to scoot itself off Stephen’s shoulders again and put on a little display of changing into a few different things. A scarf, a long coat, a shorter coat with a little hood, a vest with coattails - apparently it had quite a few different options for what it  _ could _ be and Stephen watched the display with some amusement and interest.

“You really want to come along do you?”

Tony continued to grin from ear-to-ear despite Stephen’s dismissal of his  _ true _ intent.

“It’s ok Stephen, you don’t need to glaze over it, your secret is safe with me.” Tony mostly played along with the whole charade but it did dampen his spirits some to consider that Stephen probably really was only doing this for the bigger picture in the end and less because he considered Tony to be close in any sort of way.

That idea was a hard reality to consider, but it was something Tony would choose to shove off to the side and not think about given how much he was currently enjoying the sorcerer’s company.

“What about a red silk scarf? Or a nice stylish hat? I can see you sporting that doc.”

Stephen rolled his eyes a little bit, though he continued to watch the cloak for a few moments as it changed into a scarf again. After a moment it gave Stephen a distinct pat-pat-pat and the sorcerer tilted his head. 

“You make a good scarf… we can probably do that, don’t worry about the hat.” The cloak, however, was insistent as it patted Stephen three times again, leaving him to sigh softly. “Stark, I don’t suppose you have a hat around, do you?”   
  
The cloak’s attentions immediately turned to Tony, leaving it to slip over and curl around his neck in a rather draping fashion, nudging at his cheek insistently.

“Yeah I have a hat, what kind did you want? Cap, fedora, flat cap, Beret, Toque, bowler…” Tony listed an unnecessary amount of hats for Stephen to pick from, half of them rather impractical.

He felt the smooth fabric coil around his neck affectionately and smiled. Lifting his hand he gently ran his fingers over the end piece of the scarf, caressing the silky exterior.

“Is the hat for me or for you doc?”

“It’s for the cloak. You can show it whatever hats you like, but it wants to know what a hat is. That said, I don’t know whether the cloak can emulate other types of garments that way - you might’ve noticed that most of what it displayed being was outerwear for the torso… or neck, I guess, in the case of the scarf.” Stephen shook his head a little.   
  
The cloak continued to nudge enthusiastically at Tony, expressing some kind of eagerness though without Stephen’s clarification it might’ve been harder to understand. “If you want to show it what a hat is I’ll take the time to finish up breakfast quickly and go get changed.”

Tony ended up taking the cloak up to his room to groom it with the inventory of different hats he had in his collection. He'd properly informed it of the properties of a modern day hat and when the both of them came back Tony was sporting a vermilion flat-cap as the cloak had changed into that specific flavour of head-piece.

Tony took a seat on the couch and finding it utterly adorable that the cloak had been so taken with him. He was a little red in the face with how attached the cloak was but took a seat and patiently waited for Stephen as he went back to the Sanctum to get changed.

It was a good five minutes of waiting before the sorcerer reappeared, looking distinctly more casual than Tony had seen him before. There was nothing fancy about his attire, a plain black t-shirt with a small button detail on the sleeves and a plain pair of dark blue jeans that fit him nicely enough. It was an odd sight in a few different ways between the imagery of  _ casually dressed Stephen Strange _ and someone so casually dressed simply  _ walking through a magic portal, _ but then the sorcerer wasn’t exactly prone to normalcy to begin with it seemed.

He gave Tony an inquisitive look for a moment, before looking at the hat with a slight sigh accompanied by a pleased smile. 

“I see it’s learned what a hat is. Should I grab a coat instead…? Are you staying that way?” he inquired of the brightly coloured hat and after a light squeeze the cloak shifted from its spot and shook itself into a short coat with slight checkered details to settle around the sorcerer’s shoulders. Stephen closed the portal behind him once it had.

Tony took a moment to look Stephen up, he had to admit the man looked good in casual wear - but he would look much better in a suit and tie. It would be a pleasant change for once considering this was the first of very few instances he’d see the sorcerer in not only casual wear, but formal wear as well.

“You can add that as a level-up in the cloak's bag of tricks! But yes, I showed Levi multiple different styles of hats so there is a lot to pick from in it’s arsenal!” Tony pat his hair down as the cloak had left his noggin, leaving a mess of hat-hair in its wake.

“So, did you want me to drive us there or would you prefer to portal us there if I show you a picture of the place and tell you the address.” Tony had his own blazer tucked under his arm, tinted glasses tucked into the pocket of his nice shirt.

Stephen murmured something quietly to the cloak as he stuck his arms in the coat’s sleeves, before looking at Tony with something that looked a little like uncertainty.    
  
“Is it in a very public area? It… might be better to take a car if it is. I’d rather not make a scene unnecessarily…” His uncertainty followed through in the hesitance of his words as he clearly worked to try and figure out how to vocalize his idea. He didn’t particularly sound like he wanted to get in a car and his hands seemed to fidget oddly before he stuck them into his pockets.   
  
“I guess… whatever you think is best I’ll go along with.”

“You know what, give me a second doc.” Tony smiled and picked up his phone, making a call and walking away from Stephen. He spent about five-or-so minutes on the phone talking before he came back and pulled up some photos of the place he was taking Stephen.

“If you can portal into this room, just trust me - we won’t cause a scene and everything will be fine.” Tony showed him a picture of the store. He’d spoken to the owner who had in turn made it so there would be no complications for them portalling in.

As to what Tony would have told them? It would stay a mystery to Stephen for now, but he would ensure Stephen could use his magic to transport them without alarm.

Stephen gave the pictures an appraising look before nodding lightly, clearly perfectly willing to go along with this - with Tony’s reassurance. He slowly pulled his hands out of his pockets, though they twitched with a certain readiness.   
  
“Alright. Are you ready to get going, then?” The sorcerer gave him a small smile, looking (and sounding) considerably less anxious than he had only a few minutes prior.

Tony nodded his head and gestured a hand out in front of him.

“I was born ready.” He smirked. “I just let the owner know to expect some crazy teleportation device incoming, some crazy wormhole on my end and to clear the customers for a moment. I know the guy, an old friend so it’s not like it’s really going to bother him. It’s not the first time I’ve had him do something like this.” He winked again and waited for Stephen to open up a portal.

The sorcerer’s hands moved up swiftly and in no time at all the portal had opened leaving Stephen to briefly step aside, gesturing to the portal. “After you, Mr. Stark,” he voiced with a hint of playful cheekiness to his tone. “I’d rather not be the one associated with this crazy teleportation device of yours.”

There was a moment between the two where Tony felt his heart kind of sink in his chest as Stephen presented the portal to him. He continued to hold that fond smile as he bowed his head and stepped through the breach, waiting for Stephen to follow afterwards.

Tony immediately lifted a hand to greet the store owner who at this point didn’t seemed surprised by Tony’s antics. Tony proposed that he’d need to have Stephen measured and fitted to a suit, and immediately the owner was ready with measuring tape to assess Stephen, offering for him to stand up onto a small podium and raise his arms in a T-pose.

Shedding his jacket with careful ease - and the cloak being surprisingly compliant with being treated as  _ just a coat _ \- Stephen passed it off to Tony, who scooped up the cloak to drape gently over his arm, before complying with the tailor’s instructions and stepping up onto the stand. He didn’t seem terribly uncomfortable with the situation, a testament to the days passed where he’d likely endured having someone in his space the same way - not even showing a concern at having to widen his stance for the man to measure his inseam.

Taking a back seat on the ordeal, Tony simply stood by to watch as the tailor asked a few questions to begin, only brief pauses to call measurements to a young man with a notepad. 

Did Stephen know much about suits? “Yes.” 

Did he know what kind of cut of suit he was interested in? “British cuts tend to suit me best, I find.”

_ And on and on...  _

Even as the measurements were finished, Stephen showed his familiarity with suits as he followed the tailor around the room discussing a couple of different fabrics, talking about fabrics and linings and weaves with practiced ease. It was a sort of relaxed confidence that seemed natural, harkening back to his days as a doctor. Stephen seemed to be having fun with all of this - that was a plus and it did wonders for the brunette's very imaginative head space to think of what the end result would be once the tailor finally had it ready.

Stephen appeared to make an impression on the tailor with how well he knew his way around a suit - which didn’t come as a surprise to Tony but with all the information that was being exchanged, the engineer couldn’t help but try to paint a mental image of how this would all come together in the end.

Every so often the doctor would glance towards Tony as though checking that he wasn’t overstepping by continuing on as he was, but soon enough continued on until they’d come to an agreement about everything required and the information was brought to Tony to check over.

A lounge suit - two pieces, a single breasted jacket with two buttons in midnight blue wool with corded silk facing peak lapels. Stephen was determined he’d deal with the shirt and accents on his own and that Tony had provided him with  _ plenty _ of payment with which to deal with those details, and so the tailor simply awaited Tony’s approval of the suit and its price.

Tony received the bill and easily paid it and then some. 

As the engineer was a regular at this particular establishment he’d handed in some custom information he’d jotted down during the fitting of his own suit. A contrasting yet matching suit to pair well with the sorcerer whom he left unaware of the mogul’s secretive scheme.

All of this devised for a brunch plan which he more than intended on turning into a much _ larger affair. _

“Well, you seem right at home here with all of this.” Tony lightly joked as the request was finalized. There was a genuine smile he flashed Stephen, hugging the cloak in anticipation as the tailor pulled out Tony’s measurements to set aside with his request.

“At home enough to know I’m going to have to come back for fittings before the suit is ready,” Stephen chuckled softly, though he didn’t seem to miss the exchange of papers between Tony and the shop’s owner. Luckily he didn’t comment on it. 

Instead reaching to gather the coat from Tony again, Stephen slipped it onto his shoulders and glanced at the door briefly, before looking back to the engineer with a smile. Tony helped Stephen into the cloak - which already seemed to be plenty fitted on him all things considered. When the cloak turned into a piece of clothing, it did it right.

“So.  _ Teleportation wormhole _ again?” The sorcerer inquired with clear amusement, as the tailor shouted something to the young man he’d been calling measurements to earlier, disappearing off into another room with all of his information. This left only one worker out on the floor of the shop, and the upper balcony area in the clear as an out of the way place to portal back to the compound.

“Alright, I’ll get that wormhole up and running!” He chuckled and glanced over his shoulder to look and see if if there were any prying eyes on them before nodding to Stephen and giving him the all-clear.

Tony prodded around with his watch for  _ added effect _ , Friday making a series of noises to join in on the silly facade.

“Why thank you.” Stephen opened a portal quickly enough, but no matter how he may have tried there was no hiding the near-grin on his face as Tony and Friday played along with the whole thing. 

The sorcerer quickly stepped over the amber threshold into Tony’s workshop leading the way this time and shuffling about starting to fold up the blankets on the couch and tidy up the space he’d been earlier occupying. 

He paused long enough to allow the cloak to slip off of him again and it shook itself out into a cloak proper before giving Stephen’s actions a somewhat quizzical gesture and settling itself on Tony’s shoulders.

“Doc you really don’t need to do that, I can just have Dum-E do it. You’re a guest, you don’t need to look after the cleanup.” Tony stood around idly, cloak hanging off of his shoulders. He figured this would be that point where the sorcerer would say goodbye, given that their excursion had concluded and quite frankly, Stephen probably had other things to do.

Tony shrugged his shoulders and nudged the side of the cloak’s collar with his cheek, it was a pretty natural feeling to have the weight settled over him and he enjoyed it - especially the part where the cloak smelled like _ Stephen all the time. _ (If that wasn’t in fact his favourite aspect of it’s company.)

“I don’t mind. I’m in the habit of making my bed in the morning anyway and since I’m not going to have to make my own bed it’s best to at least keep some kind of habit up on it.” The sorcerer glanced at Tony with a little smile and a half-shrug. “I approve of forming good habits where you can and that often means maintaining them as well.”

Setting the folded blankets atop the pillows lightly enough, Stephen waved to the cloak and the garment gave Tony a final squeeze before settling itself back on its master’s shoulders.

“I should get going and let you get to whatever crazy nonsense I’m sure you’ll be getting up to for the day. But thank you, I enjoyed myself last night and this morning, and I’ll make certain to go in for the rest of the fittings, so there’s nothing to worry about there. Mind you, if you’d send me the actual  _ address _ to the place, I didn’t exactly notice it anywhere and I’m not going to have the teleportation device excuse without your presence, so I’ll need to work that out.”

His smile didn’t waver as he patted the cloak gently, not seeming to mind as the collar nuzzled at his jaw a little. “Try and keep up a regular sleeping schedule and a dream journal where you can, okay? I’ll see you in six days, around 9 AM?”

“I’ll just get Dum-E to do it.” Tony managed to mutter to himself. Stephen did have a point though.

There was an absence from his shoulders as he kind of turned red in the face remembering that last night  _ was indeed a good night _ in more ways than just one.

“It was nice having the company, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” Tony shifted his weight onto his right foot as he fidgeted almost a little bashfully under the sorcerer’s gentle gaze. Despite the time spent around Stephen the past few days, it was still something so entirely brand new to see Stephen smile like that and be so non-confrontational. Unlike their first meeting - which had in some odd way imprinted on him.

“So yeah, 9 AM, unless I have a massive panic attack and  _ feel the need _ to see you earlier. Don’t know how long I can hold off that separation anxiety doc!” He jested softly and raised a hand to wave Stephen off. “And make sure you’ve got your schedule cleared for the entire day, just saying - don’t ask why.”

Stephen’s expression became briefly suspicious before he simply sighed, shaking his head. “Alright. I won’t ask. I’m sure you’ll do just fine - I’m confident in your improvements thus far and I’m sure being able to sleep well is helping some, but as you said… if you need to talk sooner than that, let me know and we’ll see what can be arranged.”   
  
A new portal opened into the entry of the Sanctum and the sorcerer offered a brief wave. “I’ll see you soon. Good luck, Stark.”

With that and the tiniest wave from the cloak, Stephen stepped through the ring of amber light and disappeared.

As the amber ring imploded on itself in a spray of sparks, Tony was left watching the empty space the two had previously occupied.

_ He may not necessarily have been joking when he spoke about separation anxiety. _

It was very clear Stephen and his red companion brought a certain energy when they were around, a shift in atmosphere and it was something Tony was starting to really grow attached to for-better-or-worse.

Just the knowledge of having Stephen somewhere nearby seemed to put his mind at ease… and then the unexpected  _ visitor _ last night. He couldn’t help but feel like the life had momentarily been sucked out of his space.

The engineer let out a deep breath of air, he’d be counting down the days until their next meetup.

 

* * *

 

_ Six days had passed. _

_ Six  _ **_very_ ** _ long days had passed by  _ and to Tony it had felt like  _ a snail's pace. _

It was a bit early, still quarter-to-nine but Tony found himself outside of the Sanctum doors which just as eagerly invited him inside before he even had a chance to brush his knuckle against the old gate.

He marched on into the main foyer of the Sanctum, head snapping around as he looked for the sorcerer in question, searching out an empty main room.

“Doc?”

A noise echoed from down one of the hallways, though it was a chore to determine which one. Luckily, shortly after Tony’s call a familiar red garment fluttered down the hallway to greet Tony with a dramatic and excited flair before beckoning to the man to follow back down the hallway it had come from. The cloak came to a stop outside of the door to the main floor’s bathroom which hung open and it became perfectly clear why the sorcerer hadn’t been there to greet him.

_ Stephen wasn’t fully dressed yet. _

He was hardly  _ indecent _ of course, as the dark blue - almost black - trousers complimented his figure rather flatteringly and the coat was settled on his shoulders with a little red pocket handkerchief and matching tie draped over his shoulders awaiting being tied. No, his lack of full dressed state was in the way the white dress shirt beneath was only about half buttoned up, exposing his collarbone and a portion of his chest to  _ whomever _ might want to look.

Trembling hands continued to work at getting the small buttons through their holes, though they seemed distinctly less than cooperative with the task. After a moment, blue-grey eyes seemed to catch sight of the engineer in the mirror and the man gave a soft sigh.

“Sorry, am I late?”

Tony had his reservations about going into the washroom but granted that he’d already peeked at Stephen’s reflection in the mirror, it would have been too late anyways. He pulled the door open and stood in the entrance where he could see Stephen completely.

Tony’s face could have gone beet red, he certainly felt the heat in his cheeks and his heart flutter softly as he took in the sorcerer and all his glory.

_ Damn. Stephen looked good in a suit. _

Tony was almost knocked flat off his feet from how stunning the other man looked. He himself had brandished a very similar suit that was more of a dark indigo with fine pinstripes. Likewise, a lounge suit tailored to match his sorcerer companion on their lunch  _ date _ .

It took a moment for the brunette to shake himself out of his stupor - so entirely enthralled. He responded to Stephen with a curt shake of his head.

“No, I’m early - here, let me help, you look like you could use a hand.” Tony took a step into Stephen’s space before he could protest and for a moment it feel like there was an immense pressure in his chest, like he was holding his breath. He gingerly took hold of the front of Stephen’s shirt, lightly shooing the magus’ hands away as he did up the buttons for him one by one.

After enough shooing Stephen tucked his hands behind himself with a distinctly embarrassed expression, pointedly keeping his gaze over Tony’s shoulder rather than watching the man who was in such close proximity to him.

“Sorry… I didn’t fully account for the extra time it would take to do something as small as doing up a few buttons. I suppose I  _ should _ have but I haven’t exactly made an attempt at doing up so many small buttons since…” Heaving a sigh, Stephen simply shook his head. “Well, anyway… thank you… for your help. You look very nice yourself. Just something you had  _ laying around _ ?”

The brunette shook his head, he wanted to linger - so badly.

From this proximity he could smell the aftershave on Stephen’s skin, whatever scent he’d used and also the smell of a brand new suit. The after aroma of whatever incense he was meditating with and the general soothing, spicy natural aroma that tended to linger around him in a cloud from one that lived in a rustic old brownstone building like this.

Tony flattened out Stephen’s lapels, indiscriminately running his hands along the chest of his suit to smooth it out before stepping back.

_ Before it got weird for Stephen.  _ He dared not let his hands linger.

“And you look... gorgeous, damn Strange!” The words just kind of spilled out and Tony wasn’t being the least bit discreet about looking him over.  _ Dinner came early, apparently. _

"No, surprisingly I had a new suit tailored as well. New occasion, new suit!"

The sorcerer looked mildly taken aback before quickly clearing his throat, moving his hands to his tie as he started to shuffle out of the room, easily hiding his face in the process and scooting the cloak along. The cloak moved itself out of Stephen’s path as the man made his way down the hall towards the sitting room, settling itself on Tony’s shoulders and nudging lightly at his cheeks in pleasure.

“Thank you.” Stephen murmured quietly after a moment. “I do like to think I clean up nicely on occasion. Is this really going to be your first brunch? Do all such occasions warrant new suits with you?” He didn’t sound as though he was surprised by the notion, but there  _ was _ a certain catch to his tone as he spoke, clearly leading the way towards the sitting room with some focus.

Tony simply shrugged the aloof behaviour off. Either he’d overstepped his bounds or Stephen may have just been a little flustered at having another grown man do up his buttons for him.

“Hello to you too Levi,” Tony lifted a hand to scratch the cloak lightly with the tops of his fingers before he followed Stephen back down to the sitting room and took up his usual place across from the wizard.

Tony’s eyes were all over the place, it was maddening how good Stephen looked in a suit, potentially the best investment  _ he’d made _ in this  _ business _ relationship. He himself was pretty sharp, and the compliment Stephen had given him didn’t go unnoticed at all - rather benched as he was still reeling from ogling the man in front of him.

After settling himself and taking a moment, Stephen took a deep breath before his eyes fell on Tony, expression composed and professional - and with the tie loosely done up the sorcerer looked  _ very _ professional indeed.

“So. How has this week gone for you, sleep wise and with your panic attacks?”

Tony shook himself out of the zoned out head space he’d been in.

“Better, much better… I think that spray you gave me really worked. I’ve mostly had a lot of dreamless nights. Though last night I did have a small nightmare - I was falling into darkness and suddenly I was drowning. Something massive with glowing blue eyes picked me up out of the water and then I woke up. Most of it was blurry.” He trailed off, fingers folded over his knuckles.

“But that was it. I’ve been more well rested now...” Tony hated to admit that he was on the path to recovery but he wasn’t necessarily going to lie about things either.

It was both a blessing and curse.

“I’m glad. Are you feeling better rested? How has your focus been?” 

Whatever mood Stephen might’ve been in earlier seemed to have melted away and he sat watching him with the same calm and considerate demeanour he had for every session prior, despite his change in attire. The cloak remained an ever present buddy however, bundling itself around Tony in something that resembled a hug and clearly not minding being sat on.

“Yeah, my focus has been a lot better, I do feel a lot more rested now save for that one night. At least I’m not a walking zombie anymore!” Tony idly fingered the fabric wrapped affectionately around his shoulders, it was nice. It felt like he had someone’s arms wrapped around his neck which took a  _ little bit of the edge _ off the current situation because somehow Stephen seemed a lot more intimidating all done-up like that.

“You  _ do _ look a bit better than last I saw you and your spirits seem to be good, so that’s definitely an improvement from day one. Even a perfectly healthy mind has nightmares on occasion, though still being once during a week isn’t necessarily ideal. It’s still a considerable improvement.” The sorcerer smiled lightly before leaning back into his chair.

“How has your mood been overall this week? Steady? Ups and downs? Anything in particular you want to discuss in that direction?”

“Hey well I am wearing a classy outfit, dressed to the nines over here!” Tony opened his arms as if to show himself off,  _ which honestly wasn’t necessary. _ ”Not to mention I may just have the best doctor in New York if not the country looking after me.”

“Mood overall has been normal. I can’t say I’m really always happy or just in general any more worried about the world ending. I don’t think that’s something that’s going away anytime soon.” He laughed, shrugging the admittance off like it wasn’t really anything to be concerned about.

Stephen’s gaze wandered for a brief moment before snapping to attention again and offering a shrug. “Not the best in  _ this _ field. But at least I’ve got some  _ additional skills _ to make this work.” He moved on without missing a beat.

“It’s been steady then? No sudden swings in mood in either direction? Particularly ones that feel unexplainable?”

“I can’t say there’s anything of note, nothing you would consider out of the ordinary.” Of course Tony had found out that he’d caught a  _ nasty case of the feels _ for the sorcerer, but that wasn’t necessarily part of this diagnosis. It was  _ clearly _ very one-sided at the moment, and given the sorcerer’s general hard disposition and difficult to read nature the information wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon.

“My life is full of extraordinary things, but we’re not talking about what  _ I _ would consider out of the ordinary. I’m talking about whether it feels out of the ordinary for  _ you _ and what you would consider the kind of emotional stability you’d like.” Stephen’s smile remained fixed as he spoke, though there was a small quirk to the corner of his lips that hinted at a particular degree of mirth.

“I don’t know that I can ever help you feel less concern about the idea of an imminent world-ending disaster, not without going to lengths I think we can  _ both _ agree we’d rather not venture, but if I can help you feel a sense of stability in your life, or at least help you feel as though you have more control over things in your life… then it strikes me as a good goal.”

The corner of Tony’s lips turned up in a smile. When he thought about it, he was probably a lot better off now then he was in a long time and it was simply because the nightmares were gone now.

“Hah, well, I feel like that can be said for the both of us. But to be honest I’d say things are back to ordinary on  _ my end _ of things at least.”

“Is there some other end that you expect to be changed?”

“End? What to you mean by that. Like a specific end goal I’m going for with all of this?”

“You said back to normal on  _ your end _ ,” Stephen clarified. “Were you anticipating some other kind of change?”

Tony thought about that for a moment. Yes there was a change he wanted, but nothing possible quite this moment.

“I want to say yes but I feel like the further I delve into it, the more I pick apart what makes me what I am, kind of like a necessary evil in a sense. This stems far deeper than the confines of our sessions though.”

Stephen’s hands folded in his lap as he paused in thought, before giving a little nod. “Are there any other subjects you’d like to discuss today, then?”

The engineer simply shook his head; he had thought long and hard about the stuff he’d try to talk about but the fact was - there wasn’t anything. He was simply biding his time at this moment, paying Stephen for his attention and it would get worse.

This undeniable fact Tony was trying to desperately ignore.

He simply shook his head.

“None that I can think of Doc.”

Giving a little nod, Stephen sighed and leaned forward, the focus of his eyes relaxing and settling on the floor. “Well, if we’re done for this session then… this is much earlier than I expected. Should we get to a slightly early brunch?”

“I mean you could take me to bed with you for a few hours if you catch my drift...” Tony wiggled his eyebrows again. Hopefully they were both on the same page with this one, but knowing Stephen?  _ Probably not _ .

“Or yeah, we could head out a little early.”

Stephen paused for a long moment. A really long moment. Almost an uncomfortably  _ long _ moment before slowly getting to his feet with a soft noise that might have been an affirmation.   
  
“I’ll… get the incense.” He finally stated, as he made his way to the staircase in an almost detached, automatic manner. “You know how to find the guest room, I assume.”

Tony didn’t quite understand Stephen’s sense of humor, but then again the feelings were probably very mutual in that regard.

It didn’t stop the engineer from grinning ear-to-ear and giving the cloak a soft pat as he stood to follow after Stephen. He didn’t expect this kind of reaction but he also wouldn’t protest it either.

He entered the room after Stephen and took off his blazer, hanging it on the side of the bed as he followed the routine and took a place, sitting on the side of the bed while he waited for the sorcerer to  _ prep _ .

The sorcerer took a few more minutes after Tony had sat down before returning, a lot less wooden in his movements and posture. He hung the censer again with the same sort of focus he’d been showing during their session, going through all the motions he had the first time he’d put Tony under before summoning the cloak away to let him sleep on his own.

It settled on Stephen’s shoulders instead as the man carefully sat himself down as he had the first time and sighed. “Try and make yourself comfortable to rest.”

Tony reclined onto his back this time, as much as he wanted to stare at the sorcerer  _ he also didn’t want to wrinkle his shirt too much _ . He leaned his head back into the pillow and let his eyes close, listening to the sorcerer rustle around and set things in their place.

Despite Stephen’s summons, once Tony was settled into the bed the garment settled itself over Tony (and his blankets) as though it intended to sleep precisely there as well. The sorcerer didn’t put up any kind of verbal protest to this, but there was the sound of fabric shifting just as Tony faded off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

The engineer awoke in an area of vast rolling hills and expansive planes. In the distance? The wreckage of a city to his left and to his right that same familiar forest from before.

He could distinctly identify the bird calls and the larger-than-normal tree poking up through the forest which spanned over the glade like a thunderhead. The setting was so similar to the surrounding area of the compound but there were no signs of modern terraforming nor any buildings he could identify - all forest.

He glanced in the direction of the city and immediately felt an intense wave of anxiety, but as he turned to the forest it almost beckoned him.

There was a loud boom from the left which drew his attention back and in that moment he wanted to suit up and head over,  _ but he couldn’t  _ \- it just, didn’t work. He didn’t have any of his tech on him.

As he turned back to look at the trees he was greeted by an animal - newer this time and unfamiliar.

It was a stag.

As the creature shook its head a little, an ear twitched and it nodded it’s mantle just slightly before turning away to guide Tony towards the forested area, pausing at the treeline and turning its head briefly to check that the engineer was following, before wandering into the dappled light beneath the trees. 

And Tony  _ did _ follow, wandering towards the treeline to be met with a soft voice. 

“Is the buck familiar to you, Tony?”

The voice seemed to echo through the trees, low and disembodied, distant yet clear as he sifted through the branches to follow the beast that seemed to walk unhindered by its environment.

“Yes… I’ve met this creature before…” The stag’s pace seemed to be relaxed, calm, it’s hooves strode with a slow gait while it seemed to move through the thicket like there was nothing in its way. ”It’s leading me somewhere...”

Meanwhile Tony’s legs felt heavy, sluggish, and he would need to clear away branches and jump over roots until he’d followed the creature to a small alcove of trees where it settled into the grass expectantly. It basked within a single ray of sunlight filtering through the canopy of the trees as it’s gaze remained fixed on the engineer.

Small clusters of finches flocked to settle on the creatures antlers as it reclined, watching and waiting. Although Tony’s movements were cautious, he was able to sit down in front of the animal on his knees and the two of them seemed to stare back and forth between one another without a word exchanged.

“Where have you met it before?” The voice inquired like a whisper drifting on the breeze.

The voice was harder to hear at this moment but the stag seemed to look off into the distance in the direction of the incorporeal voice. It was as if the animal was looking at what couldn’t be seen.

Tony looked down at the outstretched front hooves of the beast. Long jagged streaks of pale scarring marred the beast’s front legs, hooves cracked and torn with chunks missing from the cloven shell. 

The engineer reached out to touch the animal’s lower leg to inspect it and it flinched and gave him a sidelong glance but kept it’s eyes fixed on the source of the bodiless voice.

“It’s someone I know… Stephen.” The animal’s ears flicked at the name.

There was no response from the voice for a few moments, though as a breeze slipped through the surrounding area, another question came with it.

“How does the stag make you feel?”

The stag remained fixated on the incorporeal being but it’s head turned to Tony as he continued to trace down the track marks on its ankle. The bull brought it’s massive face down and nudged his hand away - rather pressed it’s muzzle affectionately into his palm and closed its eyes. It was almost as if it was inviting Tony to pet it.

The engineer ran it’s hand tenderly along the narrow cheek of the animal, it shook its ears and its eyes cracked slightly with a soft throaty bawl.

“Safe… protected…” He smiled softly and his second hand came up to cup the animal’s chin.

“Safe… like your Sanctuary? Safe like the tree?”

“Yes. Like someone I’ve known my whole life. Safe... a guardian almost.” 

The buck’s ears swiveled towards the faint voice when it spoke, it laid its head down on the top of Tony’s knees, careful to make sure it’s frontward horns didn’t offend the engineer. Given its size, Tony had to lean back a bit but he was content to sit there with the beast’s head in his lap.

“When compared to the cardinal… how does the deer make you feel?”

The stag’s eyes opened and it seemed to be focused on something far away once again; its ears twitched.

“It's very similar, but there’s something much deeper involved here, eternal, almost as if I-” 

Wingbeats hit Tony’s eardrums and he looked up to see the shadow of said cardinal approach. It came in alarmingly fast, like a blur and dropped it’s massive black feet to the ground, hooking into the grass as it let out a loud call and in an instant Tony had been enshrouded in crimson wings. 

Everything after that was a collage of images that flashed by so rapidly. 

The tree, the stag, the cardinal, the skulls, the city, and then finally what looked like Stephen… Then the sensation of being so unconditionally cared for - so loved. It felt like something was hugging him tightly, feathers, broad arms and he closed his eyes.

Then darkness.


	6. Hart to Heart

Tony woke up with the cloak draped over his upper body, it was right up against his face and he had to lay a hand on the thing as he slowly came to. The cloak nudged gently at his cheeks, carefully stroking him with an almost worried air. Though, that may well have had to do with the odd pacing the sorcerer seemed to be doing at the end of the bed. 

The engineer's eyes fluttered open to see the red fabric nudging at his face. His fingers relaxed and he picked up the cloak in one arm as he sat up, cradling it lightly as he looked around for Stephen who had since migrated from his previous spot.

Stephen took short strides from one end of the room to the other, looking very deep in thought and if he noticed Tony had woken but showed no signs - though he did pause briefly during one of his laps to open the curtain in the room and let in the outside light, cracking the window to vent the smoke that remained.

Once again the candles were already out, though they clearly hadn’t burned down all the way as much of the stubs of the blue things still stood and the censer had been taken down from where its post before he laid down. It was now sitting idly on the apothecary cabinet, no signs of smoke seeping from it.

Tony was about to speak but there was an overwhelming sensation of separation anxiety that seemed to spike in his chest. Thing is, he didn’t know what he had been separated from. He’d felt as if he finally knew the answers, had it all in the dream - the perfect life, he was being made whole again within the dreamscape but it was all suddenly taken away with the waking world.

He felt rather crestfallen for a moment, a palpable shift in mood.

“Well… That was a ride, doc?”

“What do you remember?” the doctor responded quietly, pausing in his pacing and closing his eyes a moment before turning to face Tony, not really giving the engineer much time to get his thoughts together before asking.

He seemed to take a step back on that insistence after a moment, watching Tony’s face carefully and wrinkling his nose before pressing his fingers gently against his own temples. “Sorry. First take a few moments. Get your thoughts in order and I’ll meet you downstairs with some coffee, hm?”

Stephen didn’t sound agitated despite his pacing, more curious and eager, as though he was trying to put together pieces of a puzzle and perhaps had gotten ahead of himself. He gave Tony and the cloak one last inquisitive look, but didn’t bother to summon the cloak away as he slipped out of the room and down the stairs.

Tony had opened his mouth to speak but he closed it without verbalizing anything.

_ Things felt off and he couldn’t quite explain why. _

The demands felt a bit jarring but he took a good few minutes to think things over before he went downstairs, remembering to also grab his coat which he carried down in one arm with him. The cloak - having taken the chance to slip out of his arms and perch back on his shoulders again - was keen to escort him. It gave him an affectionate squeeze which Tony reciprocated by trailing his knuckles over the collar.

Something felt so off about things right now as he remembered. The images were vivid throughout the dream but the ending was a blur, nor could he quite recall what happened before that cardinal had swooped down. 

He took up his seat anyways in front of Strange.

“How are you feeling?” The sorcerer started, gesturing to the cup of coffee beside Tony’s usual seat. The man was already perched in his own chair, back straight and looking keenly at Tony as he sat.

A large book sat at Stephen’s side - unfamiliar, but boasting a crescent moon along the spine and an inlay of what might have been meant to be stars along the cover, though reading the title from where Tony sat would’ve been a challenging task even  _ if _ it was written in English -  _ which it definitely wasn’t. _

Tony felt his heart palpitate at the question. It made him anxious to think about how he felt.

_ Maybe he wasn’t as okay as he thought he was. _

“I - alright, I’m fine.” He started, peering back at Stephen in the opposite chair. The confident face Tony seemed to garnish before their sleep session seemed to have waned. He felt more concerned, more anxious. “I guess I overslept. I didn’t have a nightmare but that’s probably what I get for taking a nap in the middle of the day.”

Stephen gave him a long, quiet look for a moment as though he was debating questioning him further on how he felt, before sitting back in his seat. “What do you remember of the dream?”

“I remember devastation, a city and then a forest - I had to pick a direction. I tried to go towards the city which was destroyed, but I had no means of getting there and then for some reason a stag urged me to follow it.” Tony took a brief respite, the memory came out all at once. “I followed this stag into the forest and I had hard time keeping up with it even though it was walking - but it felt like it was moving faster.

“It lead me to a grove, a small break in the trees. It sat down and it kept looking off towards somewhere, it also had scars all up and down it’s lower front legs, chipped and marred hooves.” Tony picked his words carefully. “For some reason it reminded me of you.”

“Yes, you mentioned that rather directly,” Stephen sighed softly though he didn’t press. “We’ll come back to that a little later. For now… what else do you recall?”

“That’s mostly all I recall, the rest is hazy and blurry.” The engineer trailed off a little reluctantly. He did remember more than that, but he found it difficult at this moment bringing the subject up to talk about.

Stephen watched him carefully for another moment before he continued. “You indicated that the stag felt safe, like some kind of guardian. After which I asked about what it made you feel in relation to the cardinal… and apparently managed to put your mind on that subject, because the cardinal came swooping in pretty promptly after. But not before you mentioned that there was something deeper about the stag. In fact, you quite distinctly used the world ‘eternal’ to describe it.

“Naturally I can’t simply pretend that I’m not entirely interested - you’ve made this a little bit personal whether you meant to or not - but with relation to everything else I took the time to look up generally accepted symbolism relating to deer and stags in general.”

The sorcerer reached over to pick up the book that he’d had set aside, resting it in his lap. “Shall we go over things from that perspective first?”

“I can’t recall what I was going to say, everything just went blurry before I woke up. Everything started to blend together. Kind of like a sequence of images...” Tony trailed off but regardless he nodded his head. “But let’s go and look at that, I don’t necessarily know what you think about it all, or what it means.”

“Things became very incoherent after the cardinal arrived. There was nothing I could really make out. There was an oddly distinct disconnect between me and this particular dream and yet…”

Rather than opening the book, Stephen folded his hands over it for a moment. “Tony, this was a very unusual dream from my perspective and not in the sense that dreams are weird - dreams  _ are _ weird, we’re going to just recognize that and set it aside. What was  _ particularly _ unusual about this dream was the fact that despite my having no physical form of my own in this dream… the stag you indicated was me -  _ looked at me _ quite directly. 

“This is the first time your dreams have interacted with  _ me _ and to have that happen particularly in a dream where I had no corporeal form  _ and _ by an entity you associated with me… It’s a little unnerving and slightly concerning. Especially since I still had no sense that there was an intruder in your dreams aside from myself, given I dealt with the remains of whatever Ms. Maximoff left in your head the first night.”

Tony was starting lean in a little more when Stephen seemed to be flustered from his experience in the dream. Tony basically knew nothing about dreams and assuming that dreams were already weird enough for Stephen to admit that the dream was  _ weird _ really had to mean something.

“I know you were in my dream, was that _you_ the stag was looking at? I thought it was just looking off into the distance… I had no idea it was staring straight at you the entire time. But I also don't know how in relation to me this is a problem. The dream wasn't _that bad_ , it was actually nice a little later on.”

“It’s not bad or problematic in the context of you personally, not exactly,” The sorcerer admitted, looking rather like he was struggling with something. “You’ve made a lot of progress overall, and the fact that you deviated away from the stressor in your dream to do something that has consistently provided you with comfort and relaxation is a good sign of a lot of things regarding your progress. But it… it shouldn’t have noticed me. Not that way. Especially not when  _ you _ didn’t recognize my presence enough to give me a corporeal form. I was a voiceless entity to you. Aspects of your dream should not have recognized me when you didn’t.”

After a moment, Stephen simply opened the book and shuffled through a few pages, letting that subject - as so many before it - go by the wayside. 

“I’m going to do something of a rough translation here, but before I do I want to reiterate that dream analysis is always a fluid thing. There are  _ some _ things that are simply accepted as a sort of fact, but the dreamer’s understanding and connection with the dream’s imagery can alter the way some of these things are interpreted. As such, if any of this feels like it’s entirely off the mark let me know, and likewise if something feels more  _ right _ ...”

Flipping a couple more pages, Stephen sighed softly to himself. “Hm. If any of this is to believed you think incredibly highly of me. I’m flattered.”

“I do think highly of you Stephen, I wouldn’t have sought you out for help if I didn’t.” The words just popped out of Tony’s mouth before he even thought about it. The engineer was devoid of all his flare and flirt, and what came out was the pure honest truth. That was also the first time he realized that he’d referred to Stephen by his first name and not  ‘Strange’ or ‘Doc’. 

“I guess I don’t see the big deal here, it could have just been my subconscious, especially knowing that we’ve been through this process before and I was aware of you. Maybe I just assumed you’d be there and somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it - even when I wasn’t aware of it at the time...” The engineer trailed off.

His nerves were calming some, but that didn’t stop the feelings that seemed to linger from popping up. He was warm and fuzzy at the thoughts of the stag, and whatever end bit of his dream. It drew out a lot of emotion, evoked so much passion from him.

Stephen’s gaze lifted from the pages for only a brief moment at the sound of his name being used, though it was difficult to determine what the expression he wore meant. His eyes returned to the page soon enough as he simply gave a shrug. 

“I was of the impression you sought me out because I was your last resort. Anyway, deer.” The sorcerer didn’t linger too long on the rest of things, seeming fairly focused on the squiggly lines on the page in his lap.

“Deer are linked to poetry and music,” He started in an almost dismissive manner, mostly as though he was reading it out loud for Tony’s sake but didn’t exactly consider it relevant information. “Also believed to be associated with the faerie realm. They can be used in dreams and meditation as a means of being led into the depths of the soul, as they are skilled at finding things that hide beneath the surface and as such are associated with spiritual knowledge.”

Humming softly, he read a few more things with a similarly dismissive manner to the first statement, something something  _ kindness _ , something something  _ generosity and good fortune _ , another soft hum of thought and then: “Well, deer  _ are _ associated with the moon, which is also typically associated with magic. Association by association. As a list of symbolism goes some of the words that seem to be cropping up are instinct, passion, power, virility, spirituality, benevolence and watchfulness…”

It was still another long moment before Stephen sat back in his seat with a more thoughtful look. “Ah…  _ this _ makes sense. Deer are also a symbol of  _ guidance _ and  _ balance _ . They can show the way towards healing and nurturing the soul. They warn to keep be alert and aware of your environment, and are a symbol of owning one’s own power. Recognition of an individual’s strength and skills.”

Tony seemed to be more caught up in the feelings he left behind rather than the symbols. Symbols, avatars and motifs were all well and good but he wasn’t quite sure what to make of them. To him, it sounded like a bunch of new-age nonsense. Tony might have been having his palm read, or asking a deck of cards to tell him his future. But the lingering effects? It was enough that he wanted to at least touch bases on it afterwards.

“Hey doc… I left something out… When the dream finished, I was left with this feeling of anxiety, like something I had known all my life was taken away from me as if it had never existed at all. There was an intense sensation of separation anxiety from the dream afterwards. I don’t know if that means anything in the grand scheme of it all either…”

Not to mention he had felt completely and utterly loved, cared for - unconditionally. It was haunting how vividly he remembered the feelings of being so at peace, and then the stag and even the image of Stephen for that brief moment with the antlers.

_ And those warm arms around him. _

Closing the book as his words were _ dismissed in their entirety _ , the sorcerer watched him intently as he spoke. “I can’t rightly say, though this is definitely important information. There seems to be five distinct symbols in the dream, do you feel as though it was related to any of them, or was the source more abstract than direct?”

“It definitely felt much more abstract in nature yet still definitive, like it was something ongoing, deeper, kind of ancient in a way.” He let out a deep breath. “But the symbols themselves felt a lot more literal in a sense almost…” Then again, a lot of what Tony was feeling towards this could have been nonsense. “I’m probably not making much sense here…”

And to think, he wasn’t initially going to do the dream session - he’d merely said it as a joke.

“You think the symbols are direct correlations of some kind. Representations rather than symbols.” Half statement, half question, but Stephen considered him carefully nevertheless. “You think the stag  _ is _ me, or at least some interpretation of me…?”

Hearing it reiterated, especially the way Stephen did so made the theory feel like something much more farfetched than it already was. But something deep in his gut felt like he should follow it and if Strange didn’t already think he was crazy he sure probably would now.

“Yeah, it's a bit reaching, but that’s what it feels like.” The cloak gently squeezed Tony’s shoulders in support.

“It’s not exactly  _ impossible _ nor even  _ unlikely _ if you feel as though your psyche is a bit more literal than symbolic,” The sorcerer sighed softly. “These are, after all,  _ your _ dreams and as such are more likely to respond in ways that are familiar to you. But if that’s the case we’ll need to discuss these representations a bit more directly.

“Now, I mentioned ‘symbols’ before… what springs to mind? Not a matter of who or what they may relate to, just what do you think the symbols are - we’ll get back to identifying representations.”

And now things were going to start getting interpretive - Tony wasn’t very confident in this area.

“The symbols themselves, possibly the burning city for one, the stag, the cardinal, the forest… and the massive tree. All recurring things in the dreams and nightmares.”

“The forest and the tree are things you would consider separate symbols then?” Stephen inquired, before simply giving a little nod. “Interesting. Alright. Going through them one by one then… what do you feel each of these symbols represent? You’ve already indicated that the stag is me, but what about the city?”

“The city would be I guess my fear of losing those close to me, people I couldn’t protect. Literally the fear of destruction, Thanos, any threat I would be powerless to stop. The cardinal? Honestly it reminded me of you too, but also a lot of the cloak. As for the forest, possibly the unknown, a safe haven? And the Tree, it was always a beacon, something I could identify without question. A fixed point if you will, just like the arrow on a compass. It also felt like home.”

The sorcerer looked confused for a moment, leaning forward with a slightly furrowed brow. “When you suggested they were representations after having identified the stag with me I assumed you’d meant these other symbols - or at least  _ some _ of these symbols - would be relating to other  _ people _ ... so I have to admit I find that feeling of anxiety rather puzzling?”

Stephen rubbed at his temples as though it would help him think better, trying to make sense of things. “That anxiety and sense of loss you felt… did you feel anything like guilt along with it? Perhaps a feeling that you’d abandoned the city and the things it represented by embracing the forest?”

Tony shook his head again.

“No, it was more akin to losing a loved one, someone you’ve known for a while. Like the recollection of nostalgia - of once having something and then not having it anymore. And not because it had guilt or remorse tied into it. It’s haunting in a way; it lingers.”

The sorcerer’s puzzled expression didn’t seem to ease up much until he took a deep breath and settled back into his seat. As though the breath had helped him to compose himself, he relaxed in the chair and steepled his fingers with a more thoughtful expression as he watched Tony.

“Have you felt this feeling before?” Tony once again shook his head.

“Nothing I’ve felt of this nature before. I want to say when Pep and I called things off, but this is completely different in a lot of ways, like I said - it felt much more deep rooted and it was all so profound in the dream.”

Tony could see the sorcerer growing even more confused by the minute; and here he’d thought this would be a  _ quickie _ .

“I see.” He rather plainly didn’t, though there was little doubt that the man was making an effort to at least  _ try _ to understand. But clearly something wasn’t adding up for the other. 

After a brief pause, Stephen sighed and ran a hand into his hair, starting to glance at something on his wrist - apparently his sleeve had been covering a watch - before he wrinkled his nose and looked to the clock settled on the fireplace mantle instead.

Tony tilted his head a bit. He was watching Stephen but for a brief moment his eyes flicked to the watch on his wrist as it peeked out from under Stephen’s sleeve.

“We should come back to this subject another time, perhaps. I believe we have a brunch to get to and with all of this in mind I think taking some time to process the subject and the changes that have cropped up after this session is probably the best course of action.”

“Right, yeah, don’t want to miss our opportunity - I think right now I actually am hungry, and we gotta break these new suits in!” 

Talking out the dream seemed to help some, the brunette didn’t feel as downcast as he initially had when he woke. Maybe it was just a case of the afternoon nap grumpies - napping during the day always did seem to turn him into a grouch the rest of the day when he did indulge on those rare occasions. 

Tony immediately started flicking through his phone for images of the place they were going to.

“Well, this  _ was _ the point of the suits after all, wasn’t it?” Stephen chuckled softly, getting to his feet and letting the more focused professional demeanour melt away as he looked at the cloak thoughtfully. “But what to do with you…”

The cloak, for its part, curled a little more around Tony, determined not to be left behind even as the sorcerer seemed to contemplate precisely that.

“I’m not wholly sure I need an overcoat right now, and--” 

Before Stephen could protest any further, the cloak wiggled itself free from around Tony to show off its newly discovered  _ hat form _ , settling itself on Stephen’s head rather insistently. “... oh alright, fine.”

Tony’s eyes flicked to the cloak and then immediately followed it like a directional vector as it settled on Stephen’s head and he stifled laugh.

_ Oh, now that was adorable. _

Also, very surprising - Tony was always thrown for a loop just how Stephen could go from a stone-faced statue with his professional work and life to casual and just shatter the guise in an instant. The man was an enigma - a very charming and handsome enigma.

“I like the look!” Tony smiled, it was a genuine compliment. He picked up his coat now that his shoulders were free of the cloak and slipped it on, straightening himself out and doing up the buttons.

“Here.” He presented a photo of an alleyway nearby. “We can zone in here without drawing attention, then it’s a block’s walk away. That or flying there and carrying you bridal style is still on the table.”

Adjusting the hat just slightly on his head, Stephen rolled his eyes a little bit at Tony’s suggestion even as he looked at the proffered picture for portaling. “Let’s just… not. If I wanted to fly that’s what I have the cloak for. I certainly don’t need to be  _ carried _ anywhere.”

Giving the picture a fairly intensive scrutiny, the sorcerer made a thoughtful noise before moving away slightly and raising his hands. “The clearer and more distinct an image location is, the easier it is to get to just… so you know. Alleyways - especially in cities - have a tendency to look very much alike… so hopefully this will wind up being where you had in mind.

By the time he’d finished speaking the portal was fully formed and despite his uncertainties about it he  _ did _ manage to open a portal to the correct location, though Stephen hardly seemed certain about the matter. Tony poked his head through the portal and looked both ways before stepping all the way through.

“I never doubted you, doc!” He grinned, smoothing himself out before waiting for the portal to collapse. “Hope you don’t mind a brisk walk, I know your knees might have  _ gone weak from all of this _ but it’s only a short distance.” Tony chortled softly nodding his head in the direction out to the streets.

Following after Tony and allowing the portal to disperse, the sorcerer seemed reassured by Tony’s confidence in the matter and simply tucked his hands into his pockets as he followed after the other.

“I hardly have an issue with a walk. But if this place is too fancy the cloak is going to have to hang on a rack…” The cloak-hat was clearly the one meant to be informed by that statement, but it simply stayed in its spot and didn’t draw attention to itself. Really, it seemed good at that.

“This place is fancy, but not too fancy. We’re going to a restaurant within a hotel, so we’re pretty dressed up but still appropriately. I don’t think there’s going to be an issue with the cloak.” Tony led them out of the alleyway and down the streets where it was one stop at a crossing and then they were right there in front of the hotel.

“The Pierre!” Tony gestured to the building they’d stopped in front of. “It has a bar and lounge, but within it, a tea-room. I figured I’d pick something to cater to your interest.” He grinned and held the door to the lobby open for Stephen.

Stephen gave Tony a curious look as they approached the building before making his way in to look around a little at the place, taking it all in.

It didn’t take much time to locate the lounge that hosted the hotel’s afternoon tea service, a rather intimate looking art deco room. It seemed a little dark, lacking natural light and instead lit by chandeliers, small pot lights and an odd series of coloured blue and teal lights. 

The eye was immediately drawn to the bar which was the most brightly lit place and despite the people in the room already there was an oddly muffled sound to the room that prevented any of the conversations from being easily overheard, and the spacing of the tables added to the sense of privacy even in the more public environment. Low and behold there was already a table prepared for them with a small reserved sign. 

Tony simply walked in, leading Stephen to their spot in the corner like he owned the place. It was only natural that Tony’s presence drew a few eyes in the process of traipsing through the hall towards their seats. Tony reached for the chair, pulling it out and offering the seat for Stephen with a soft smile. It didn’t matter who was watching them and it didn’t bother him either.

“After you, Stephen.”

The doctor paused to give Tony a vaguely confused look at first, glancing down at the chair and back to the engineer for the briefest moment before eventually making his way forward to take up the seat.

“Thank you.” He responded quietly but politely enough. His eyes fell on the table at first, though he briefly glanced around them for a moment before simply settling his hands in his lap and leaning against the backrest of the chair.

Tony winked and took his seat, just as quickly after and opened up the menu for show.

He had already decided what he wanted from knowing and researching the place. Unfortunately coffee was not an item on their menu but he was just as happy to pick something else instead. He gave Stephen all the time in the world to pick his meal and drink, the engineer obviously already knew what he wanted.

Stephen took no time at all to scan through the menu and set it down, clearly deciding easily enough what he wanted. Rather than tucking his hands into his lap again however, the sorcerer settled them carefully on the table, folded together in a somewhat relaxed manner with a light smile on his face.

His watch once again peeked out from under the cuff of his shirt, displaying a heavily cracked face that made it seem unlikely that the time could be read on it - though the thing didn’t seem to be keeping time anymore, either. Despite it being the middle of the afternoon the display along the top seemed to be stuck in the early stages of the night setting, and the only easily read dial from Tony’s spot was one that declared it to be Wednesday, which was pointedly inaccurate.

Tony got a clear view of the shattered glass of the watch. It was odd to see a man of Stephen’s stature adorning something like that. The sorcerer didn’t much partake in wearing fanciful dress attire but Tony could tell the make and by assumption it must have been something from back in the days of the doctor’s prime.

There was something to be said about the way those scarred hands and the scarred watch seemed to fit each other though, and even a clearly broken watch couldn’t do anything to minimize how good the sorcerer looked. It was unlikely many people would get a close enough look at the watch to notice the damage anyway, and there didn’t seem to be anything amiss with the band from where he was sitting.

“Drinking tea today are we?” Stephen inquired quietly, as though to open up a light conversation.

It was a shame that such a highly appraised piece of jewelry was in such shape, so the words practically bled from Tony’s mouth.

“Your watch, Stephen… I couldn’t help noticing earlier, I can fix that for you if you’d like...” He trailed off softly. An odd conversation starter for sure, but his eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the piece.

The doctor seemed surprised - though whether it was because of the dismissal of his inquiry or because of  _ what _ the change had been directed at took a moment to become clear. His gaze dropped to his watch for a moment and a hand rested briefly over it in a somewhat tender gesture that made it rather clear that the watch was somehow sentimental to him. A smile tugged at his lips after a moment before he sighed and gently tugged back his sleeve to bare the damage quite completely.

“I’m not so sure it’s  _ fixable _ I’m afraid. But I didn’t take you for a watchmaker. Is that one of your hidden skills?”

“Anything can be fixed doc, with the right amount of patience. I’m a mechanic, fixing broken things is what I do. I’ve designed and built 85 different suits of armor, I think replacing the lense on a watch and fixing the cogs couldn’t be too hard of a chore for me.” Tony jested lightly, leaning in a bit more to get a better look at the piece.

“I can see that means a lot to you, I wouldn’t let you down, trust me.”

It took Stephen a couple more moments before he finally undid the band on the watch, fumbling with it just slightly but overall seeming to have a better time of that than his buttons. Even once it was off his wrist he still took a long moment before he offered it over to Tony with a soft sigh.

“I was wearing it when I had my accident… I used to have quite a collection of watches. I suppose you could say I’ve always had an affinity for  _ time _ ,” He joked, though he sounded a little strained as he did. “That’s the only one I have left. It always felt… weird to me I guess, to wear a suit without a watch.”

Tony accepted the piece with two hands. One to gently slip under the watch and the other to cover the cracked lens as he took it and gingerly held it. He tugged the handkerchief out of his pocket and wrapped the watch in the soft silk fabric before tucking it away in his front pocket.

“I’ll have this back to you the tomorrow even.” He trailed off and gave his pocket a gentle pat as he peered across the table at Stephen. “I find it fitting that the  _ keeper of time _ has an affinity for watches, might just be me though…”

“It  _ would _ be fitting, wouldn’t it?” Stephen mused in agreement, though his hand rested over his wrist for a brief moment as though keenly aware of the watch’s absence. After rubbing at his wrist lightly, he folded his hands together again. “If, after examination, you determine that you can’t fix it… that’s alright as well. Some things simply cannot  _ be _ fixed and there’s nothing wrong with that, either. It’s not as though I often have occasion to wear a nice watch anymore anyway.”

“C’mon doc, you do know who you’re talking to here, right?  _ I can fix anything _ , without fail. And I’m very much confident in my own abilities.” Tony slightly lifted his menu off the table as if to appear busy, looking at the list of teas and meals to order despite knowing what he wanted.

“I’m sure you  _ are _ confident.  _ And _ skilled, no one would argue that. But remember that it’s not your responsibility to fix  _ everything _ ... Sometimes things are broken for a reason. My watch… it might be time to see whether it’s beyond repair or not, but whether it’s broken or not doesn’t change the value it has to me.  _ That _ is not broken.” After heaving a soft sigh, Stephen smiled a little more. “And it’s not like I need time to be fixed or some manner of keeping time. As you pointed out yourself -  _ I _ am the timekeeper. Not a watch.”

“Possibly not, but it means a lot to you, so I’m going to try. It’s not like you haven’t tried to fix  _ me  _ and all my weird nightmare problems. Some things can’t be fixed - that’s true, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be mended.” Tony trailed off, he was tempted to cover his face with the menu until one of the servers sped promptly by to take their order.

The engineer raised a hand to gesture at Stephen to offer him the first word in what he wanted to order. Rather than responding with the server there, the sorcerer sighed softly and turned a polite smile to the server. “The traditional tea service please. With chai.”

“The Big Ben English Breakfast for me. Some biscotti and eggs if you will.” Tony nodded to the server, he also ushered the server to come a little closer whispering something in his ear. The server promptly nodded with a smile before traipsing off to fulfill their orders.

Tony immediately turned his attention back to Stephen with a wide smirk that spoke  _ volumes _ .

Stephen gave the man a playfully suspicious look. “I assume you wouldn’t tell me what you’re up to even if I asked…?”

“You could ask, and maybe I’d tell you, but that might just ruin the surprise for you. Is that something you really want?” Tony leaned forward on his elbows quirking a brow at Stephen.

Nearly mirroring Tony’s pose, Stephen’s elbows rested on the table as he steepled his fingers, giving the man a vaguely entertained smile. “Do I strike you as the kind of person who likes surprises…?”

Tony initiated a small staring contest across the table, matching the sorcerer’s fervor as he held the man’s gaze. “No, but after dealing with me long enough you should kind of start expecting them doc.”

“Hmmm, and what if I don’t  _ like _ your surprise? What then?” The doctor gave a slight smirk of his own in response, his gaze wholly fixed on the engineer.

“Well I guess you’re just going to have to  _ take it, like a man. _ ” Tony narrowed his eyes with that same grin. He’d somehow subconsciously leaned forwards in the process.

“Why would I do that? I’m no  _ mere man, _ ” Stephen quipped in response with playful cockiness.

The engineer was about to make another comment regarding their little headstrong argument when the waiter arrived with their orders quite promptly. Both kettles were placed on the table; personal glass pots with their own infusers containing loose leaf mixes for their preferred drinks

A small plate of biscotti was also placed in the center of the table along a pretty showy tower of sweets and pastries.

Tony sat back as his vision of the sorcerer was impeded by the delicacies. This argument would have to wait.

“... that is  _ very _ prompt service.” The sorcerer remarked, blinking at the tower in surprise before shuffling it a little more to one side and glancing briefly at the tea, leaving it to sit as he plucked one of the wraps from the top tier of the tower and forewent their little tete-a-tete for the sake of the small snack that took a whole of two bites to finish off.

“Tea is also pretty good, I figured in this vast place it would have something you like.”

Tony likewise grabbed one of his biscotti from the plate. An assortment of different types, almond, cranberry, chocolate, all dipped in either yogurt or hazelnut chocolate coating. He then tapped his own personal teapot and poured himself some.

Watching the man pour his tea, Stephen's lips twitched slightly in mirth but he simply shrugged and gave the platter of small sandwiches a contemplative look before delicately grabbing a sandwich.

“It certainly had some interesting offerings in the tea department. The chai does smell nice, but then chai  _ always _ smells nice to me, so I’ll have to wait until it’s  _ fully steeped _ before I give any real opinion on it.”

Tony stopped pouring his tea for a moment and frowned at the cup.

“That’s right, steeping - that’s a thing you do with teas…” And he wasn’t even trying to be funny but Tony put the teapot back down on the table and folded his hands. As much as it  _ wasn’t coffee _ the not-coffee did smell really nice.

“Smells almost cinnamony and sweet.” The engineer remarked as he started to get a whiff of Stephen’s pot.

Stephen’s laugh was a quiet thing, but definitely present as he glanced at Tony with amusement. “You allow coffee to percolate and you allow tea to steep. At least, I  _ assume _ you allow your coffee to percolate. You don’t strike me as the instant coffee sort…”

Finishing off another of the small sandwiches, the sorcerer looked to the tea. “It’s not really very long. Most teas only take about two to three minutes to steep, though in the end it depends on your preference. If you don’t like your tea as strong you can steep it for less time but it’ll just taste more watery in my opinion.”

“Yes… percolate - I do exactly that and don’t drink the coffee as soon as it comes out of the machine.” Tony trailed off as he handled the half-filled mug in front of him.

Stephen’s laugh was almost contagious, he hardly expected the sorcerer to so much as chuckle and just as soon he found the corners of his own lips turning back up in a fond smile. The magus was surely very attractive when he showed his colours, and that rich laughter was so wholesome and fulfilling.

"I like my tea plenty strong - so I guess I should just leave it in longer then..."

“You can always test it a little now and then. The leaves  _ will _ lose their potency eventually, and you don’t want to let the tea get cold either.” 

Snagging another different type of sandwich from his tray, he gestured to it absently. “You can try some if you’d like, while you wait. There’s a coffee macaroon and a coffee opera cake on the bottom plate, and there are doubles of the sandwiches on the top.”

“Why is tea so difficult? Coffee goes in machine, comes out machine, then I drink it!” Tony gestured at the personal tea pot. “Then again, robots make my coffee for me and I don’t put another thought into it.” Tony’s eyes scanned the layered porcelain dishes and spotted a macaroon, he reached for it and put it on his plate. 

“Always had a weakness for these when I was a kid.” He picked it up and rotated it a few times before taking a nibble out of it.

“Honestly you’re far too intelligent a man to be considering something as simple as  _ tea _ to be difficult.” Stephen gave the man a look of amusement before shaking his head. “Macaroons are nice. I don’t know if I would’ve appreciated them as a kid, but the fanciest treats we ever got were my mom’s profiteroles and it’s hard to go wrong with pastry and custard…”

“Hey doc if I didn’t know any better I’d say you had a sweet tooth.” Tony chuckled softly as he took a bite, chasing the sweetness with a mouthful of (acceptably hot) tea.

“Mostly intentional ignorance on my part or just plain laziness.” Tony pointed the half bitten macaroon at the man across the table.

“ _ Do _ you know better?” The sorcerer smiled across the table at the other man, picking up another sandwich to nibble at. 

“Yeah I mean… you throw the leaves in a basket, pour boiling water and let it sit for a few minutes depending on the type of tea!” It was a quick recovery, but half of the stuff he was doing was mostly for show - an excuse to make some witty banter with the doctor.

“Oh I meant about my having a sweet tooth. I figured you had to have  _ some _ idea how tea functioned given we just spoke about it earlier.” Stephen chuckled softly, shaking his head a bit and, despite not finishing off all of the sandwiches he’d been given, reached for a red cherry financier with a warm smile.

Tony simply folded his hands on the table in front of him, knuckles starting to go a bit white from his nervous disposition. He seemed to mirror a sheepish smile to the sorcerer who was  _ thankfully,  _ clearly enjoying himself.

“Yeah, well I knew that, maybe… No. But you know now that I do, I’m going to use it to arbitrarily send baked goods to the Sanctum and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

The doctor gave him a curious look at that, looking thoughtful for a moment before shrugging. “That doesn’t strike me as the kind of thing I’d protest to, and doesn’t sound like a threat in the slightest. Unless you’re trying to undermine my fitness…”

“Yes it’s all a ploy to get you so fat for which I actually have no end goal or benefit to come out of this with.” The engineer barked in amusement and tossed the rest of his now crummy macaroon into his mouth.

“Well then. I’m just going to have to accept the baked goods I suppose.” Stephen’s smile split across his face with a hint of childish giddiness. It seemed oddly out of place in ways, but disappeared quickly enough as the man grabbed himself another sandwich.

Tony idly poked at his eggs, drawing his attention somewhat away from Stephen’s bright smile as he thought for a moment. This was a really nice change for once, and under the guise of a business outing he was able to convince the sorcerer to do _ a lot of things  _ he probably wouldn’t have been able to draw him out for. 

The sad reality though was these were considered simply that -  _ business outings _ .

There was almost a sinking dread in his stomach at how he anticipated Stephen reacting if they hadn’t been proposed as such. Drinking and hanging out in his workshop, but would it be as simple if he tried to take Stephen out to another place for a personal affair?

Not wanting to get lost in his own head he lifted his tea mug and took a sip, eyeing the sorcerer fondly.

“I can imagine I’d need to send both you and Wong your own gifts when it comes to sweet treats, I can’t imagine leaving the second best sorcerer out of this. Wouldn’t want him poaching yours afterall.”

“Oh I’m reasonably good at sharing - or at least concealing things I don’t want to share. But all jokes aside no one is expecting you to send anything, Tony. If you  _ want _ to send things I’m hardly going to protest to treats, but we generally keep ourselves reasonably well fed.” 

Finishing off the top platter of sandwiches, Stephen carefully gathered a scone and one of the three little bowls of sauce to carefully start covering it in - by the looks of it - raspberry jam of some sort.

It almost seemed like the engineers concerns were shrugged to the side when he heard Stephen refer to him by his first name in direct conversation.  _ That was nice. _

Either the sorcerer didn’t realize it or it was intentional. Regardless Tony couldn’t help but feel his gut melt into a puddle in his seat and the distinct tingling sensation on the back of his neck as he delighted at it.

“It’s my pleasure, Stephen. Let me have this.” He jested softly. “Why settle for just well fed when you can be even  _ more _ well fed?”

“I didn’t think feeding sorcerers sugary things was necessarily one of those things that you’d want to take on. It’s definitely not within the notions of what’s expected of you…” The sorcerer gave him a curious look over his scone, clearly unaware of the little crumbs that had caught in his beard. 

“ Asceticism is a lifestyle Wong would make attempts at having us live by. Mind you he’s been considerably less stringent about that since… well.” He shrugged. “Maybe a regular supply of sweets will change his mind on the matter.”

“Well, doesn’t stop me from sending things to you and then - oh, coincidentally there’s just a second package there for Wong.” Tony noted the crumbs that had caught in Stephen’s whiskers and stifled a laugh - though it would have seen arbitrary to the wizard. 

He at least tried to keep it discreet.

Finishing off the scone and the small residual jam on his thumb, Stephen smiled a little to himself as he finally poured his own tea. Entirely in line with his statement of having a sweet tooth, he added some sugar to his cup and rather delicately stirred it in before setting the teaspoon aside and cradling the dainty teacup in his hands - making the cup look  _ very _ small indeed.

“Well then, I suppose he’d have no choice but to accept it, hm? And if he’s too opposed that’s perfectly fine - it just means more for me.”

“There’s that, but if he were to decline - basically yeah, that just means double the fun for you! His loss.” Tony sectioned off another slice of his egg, lifting it onto a piece of his English muffin as he raised the piece to his mouth and took a bite.

“I’ve successfully found out your secret soft spot, any others you need to tell me about or do I need to play the guessing game with you.”

“Secret? It’s no secret that I love sweets, just news to  _ you _ apparently.” Stephen laughed softly, shaking his head and sighing, sipping at his tea in thought. “... let’s see, secret soft spots… I love animals? Does that count? It’s also not really a secret given that most people in my neighbourhood could have told you that.”

“Right, well given that it would be pretty impractical to show up at your door with a puppy, or an animal as a gift I think I’m just going to stick with baked goods and pastries. At least I can’t go wrong there.” He followed up with a soft chuckle.

“Well I’m definitely not going to give you any further ideas for gifts. Those you’ll have to sort out on your own. But definitely not a pet, no. Sadly my life does not much accommodate pets.” Brushing at his face a little, the man finally seemed to note the crumbs in his beard and wrinkled his nose in displeasure, dealing with them quickly enough before going back to slowly working at his tower of treats.

“I was wondering when you’d notice that.” Tony let out another soft chuckle under his breath as he finished off the last piece of his muffin and eggs together, washing it down with tea.

“And you just didn’t think to  _ say _ anything?” The doctor huffed at him softly, but continued to slowly pick at his trays of treats.

“I mean I did - but then I chose not to because I thought it was kind of cute to see  _ the almighty and powerful sorcerer _ Stephen Strange with a few crumbs in his whiskers.” Tony cackled rather boisterously.

Eventually the waiter came by again with a metal kettle and two cups, setting them down on the table with a crystal serving glass of some clear sort of liquid that smelled strongly of licorice.

Stephen gave the kettle, cups and serving glass a very curious look for a moment, watching after the waiter briefly and finally turning his gaze on Tony. “Shall I assume that this is your doing?”

He just as soon got to work pouring the both of them a serving of espresso and topping it with a shot of whatever was in the crystal glass. He slid Stephen the small espresso cup and took one for himself.

“Yes it is, Caffe Coretto, an Italian dessert drink. It’s an espresso with a shot of Sambuca - to counter the ‘itis’ as they put it.”

“It’s not even 5PM and we’re drinking? Is that why I was supposed to keep the day free?” Stephen chuckled softly, though he took the cup without protest and sniffed at it a little bit. “Is this going to be an ongoing thing when we spend time together?”

“It’s a traditional dessert drink thank-you-very-much, and the rule is after twelve noon if you really need to debate this with me.” Tony raised his espresso to clink up against Stephen’s before he took a generous sip.

“And no, it doesn’t have to be. But I am going to milk it for all it’s worth - by the sounds of it, we’ll be spending more time together, and it doesn’t always need to be booze-fueled.” He set his espresso mug down on the dish with a wide grin.

“Twelve noon by whose ruling? After 5PM is a commonly held unspoken agreement in the United States quite specifically because of the idea of not drinking until the work day is over - with the general work day having being 9AM to 5PM.” 

Stephen’s lips twisted into an odd little smile, but he still lifted the espresso cup to his lips and sipped at it as best he could. His hands were, as always, trembling, but the tiny cup looked excessively small in his long fingers and it seemed to take a good deal of effort for the man to keep the shaking under control enough to sip at.

“Yeah but that doesn’t account for people who work from home, like moi.” Tony added on as a very unstable form of backing up his point. “I think the argument is up in the air, it’s not like there’s a designated or publicly decided time. What about the folks that get off earlier than five? Huh?” There was a challenging smirk on Tony’s face as he tried to back up his  _ oh so flawless points _ .

“That’s a little pedantic don’t you think? If you start to get into things that way you’re faced with people are working at all hours, you should  _ never _ drink. Or the opposite, which could easily lead to drinking issues.”

“Well yeah, but then the times all just become relative - listen, I just do what I want. Social drinking is a thing and I feel like that is at least an exclusion when the setting calls for it...” Tony did enjoy a whiskey every now and then but he wasn’t a binge drinker on his own time and he knew that.

“It’s not like I’m throwing back bottles when I’m alone…”

Carefully finishing off his drink, Stephen sighed softly and shrugged a shoulder. “It’s not as though I expected I was going to change your mind. The drinks are already here and I’m not protesting to drinking either.”   
  
Setting the small cup aside, the sorcerer grabbed the last of his pastries and leaned back in his seat to finish it off.

“Good, cause for a moment there I was thinking I was going to bust out a real harsh debate with you.” Tony quipped softly as he also finished off the rest of his rather alcoholic espresso drink.

“So then that means you won’t be opposed to the plans I have set for after…” He couldn’t help but leak at least a little of his anticipation with his cadence of voice.

“You told me to keep the day free and I’m here already. I suppose thus far I’m not put off by whatever you’ve got in mind. So what’s the next step, then?” the sorcerer inquired with a small smile.

“Good, because I planned something pretty neat for later on this evening. The next step is a surprise, I figured we’d finish up here then separate or go back to one of our places after this.” Tony trailed off, though there was a hint of glee in his voice.

“So we’re killing time between now and whatever you’ve planned for this evening? I suppose I should’ve eaten more slowly.”

“I mean it doesn’t necessarily matter, it wouldn’t be impossible to find something to occupy our time in between outings. Worst comes to worse you can come pick me up - or like I said, we could spend some more time together at one of our places,  _ as horrible as that sounds. _ ”

Stephen sighed softly at that. “So are you leaving the decision in my hands here? How much time are we looking at trying to deal with?”

“I don’t have to, if I told you we’d be going back to the Sanctum to relax in between would you have a problem with that?” Tony quirked a brow and the corner of his lips in amusement.

“Not in the slightest. I assumed you were running the show today anyway.” Stephen echoed the small smile before finishing off the last of his tea as well.

“Cheque and tip were taken care of well before you got here. So whenever you feel like getting out of here, you let me know.” Tony had finished his espresso in a final hit. The rest of his tea however remained half full. 

Turned out the engineer wasn’t much of a tea drinker after all.

“ _ Tony _ I would’ve…” The sorcerer trailed off after a moment before sighing softly and simply shaking his head a bit, apparently seeing no point in arguing the matter. “Well, I’m done eating and the like. It’s comfortable enough here but we can figure something else out. Are we walking back to the alley again, or do you figure we can find somewhere quiet enough here as to make no fuss getting back?”

“Hallways, just outside should be fine. We could do the whole jig with the wormhole so people look at me funny rather than you.” The engineer stood up and pushed in his seat, waiting for Stephen before directing them out to the main lobby of the hotel and down the hall.

The sorcerer followed in stride, waiting for Tony to direct them though once they reached a spot that was relatively quiet Stephen paused for a moment to look around a bit before giving a shrug and starting to open a portal. “Here’s as good a place as any, I suppose.”

Tony nodded and immediately followed through as Stephen opened up a portal. He touched down on the other side and was so bold as to offer the sorcerer a hand through the portal in aid.

Stephen stepped through of his own accord, simply giving the offered hand an amused look as he shook his head. “I’m perfectly capable of walking through a portal. I happen to have a lot of experience with it. Have you had your coffee fix already, or do you require further caffeination?”

“It's called being a gentlemen Stephen, and it was at least an attempt." He rolled his eyes and retracted his hand as he zested the sorcerer lightly. Tony stood away from the portal as it closed. "I think I've got my coffee fix for now, besides it's probably not a good idea for me to fill up on caffeine."

“Well, I suppose that leaves us in the rather unfortunate  _ waiting _ period, which you didn’t see fit to divulge the length of,” The sorcerer gave Tony a rather odd look at the notion of the man being a gentleman, but apparently didn’t see fit to comment on it. “So I’m afraid I don’t know what to suggest we do for entertainment in the meantime.”

"I've got some stuff I can work on with me, you don't need to worry about entertaining me.  That is unless you wanted to watch a movie, but I'm sure you have your own reading or research to do - whatever you sorcerer's like to do on your own time."

Giving a soft sigh, Stephen simply shook his head and frowned slightly. “So is our waiting around time another one of those  _ surprises _ of yours? Because if so you should know that if I get too involved in my studies and you simply  _ announce _ that it’s time to go, you’ll be dealing with a rather grumpy version of me.”

Tony looked at his watch and then back at Stephen.

“Give or take about four hours? What I have planned for us is going to be an evening affair, I figured you had enough time to do something in that lapse between.”

“Alright. Do you need a workspace to work on… well, whatever you’ve managed to hide away in your suit to work on while you’re here?”

“Stephen, honey - it’s called a tablet, and yes it can fit in my pocket.” The engineer sassed back with an amused chuckle, pulling out said tablet. “Any spot will do, though a chair and a table would be ideal - if you’ve got the space to lend.”

Wrinkling his nose slightly at the endearment but not protesting it, Stephen waved a hand for Tony to follow. 

“I’m going to do some organizing of the library. There are a few seats and a long table there that…  _ should _ have clear space…?” The sorcerer definitely didn’t sound certain of that even as he made his way upstairs and down a long hallway towards one of the many ornate doors in the building. Unlike the bedroom doors, however, this one was nicely decorated with engravings that made it seem obvious that the room was a library.

Pushing through the door and leaving it open behind him as he continued in, it became rather apparent to Tony  _ why _ Stephen said he was going to organize the library. It was a disaster - and given that the rest of the Sanctum was always fairly nicely cleaned and organized (even  _ dusted _ somehow, which seemed unusual given the size of the place), the state of the library stood out like a sore thumb.

Ceiling to floor bookshelves ran along the perimeter of the room with the exception of where the door sat, and the opposite wall and its large window. Many of the shelves were nearly emptied with books having fallen over in their place, awaiting the books that seemed as though they were on every surface but the shelves they belonged on.

The table Stephen had mentioned wasn’t overly wide, but it was long enough to easily fit twelve people at it and likely could have been made to accommodate many more. Alas, it was also piled taller than Tony’s head with books in some places, while others were only  _ lightly _ (comparatively) covered with novels and tomes. The sorcerer took to a particular spot first thing as the table had proven itself to not be as clear as he might’ve hoped, though he simply relocated books to another surface for the time being to create a space for Tony to work.

“Will this be sufficient?”

“Jeez Stephen, and here I took you to be one of the more organized people I know. It’s like when a nice guy takes you home and he avoids taking you up to his room because he left his dirty laundry all over the place.” Tony chuckled softly but happily took up the offered seat, setting his phone down on the table as he pulled the chair in. “This will do just fine though, it’s more than I could ask for.”

The tablet projected out a myriad of flat holographic screens and a keyboard into the air and on the table and Tony made no fuss about getting right down to work on his most recent project.

“The books rather like to move and rearrange themselves at times. And please don’t open any of them. While some  _ are _ simply spellbooks, others are… not quite so harmless. Opening the  _ wrong _ one is how it got into this state to begin with. I didn’t  _ need _ a miniature tornado in my library, but  _ magic books _ I guess…”

The hat shook itself back out into its cloak form and settled on Stephen’s shoulders, seeming perfectly pleased to be mobile again but as Stephen gathered a couple of books the pair ascended into the air so that Stephen could gently place a couple of books on one of the higher shelves. 

“Unfortunately I don’t know which books are which yet as I inherited all of this and don’t have a comprehensive  _ listing _ of what each of the books are and what they do. Master Drumm was many things, but apparently he liked to simply keep things without identifying what they  _ were _ and that’s… led to a few issues in determining what’s what since it requires opening them without knowing whether they’re going to wreak havoc or not.”

"Well I didn't plan on touching anything, but now that you've drawn attention to it I can't help but have my curiosity piqued. It seems like Jumanji came to life in the library and you haven't quite completed the game." Tony didn't bother looking at Stephen, busy and focused on the holo screens that unfolded in front of him.

“Oh I always do my best to  _ finish games _ precisely because of Jumanji. You never know how things might go in a place like this,” Stephen responded quietly as the cloak set him back on his feet and he began sorting through a few other books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	7. Hot & Cold

For the first hour after they returned there were bits and pieces of casual conversation and jibes back and forth, but as time passed the two fell into a reasonably comfortable silence with each man focused on his own individual task. Even the cloak was so busy aiding Stephen in his ups and downs that it didn’t have a moment to spare for harassing Tony from his work. As far as Stephen was concerned that was for the best.

He did take the opportunity to summon a rather elaborate looking decanter of wine and a large jug of water to set on the table once the books on it had at least been  _ mostly _ cleared from the end that Tony was occupying. Though, that was mostly because he’d found himself rather thirsty about half an hour into organizing.

As the natural light of the afternoon began to fade from the large window, the chandelier overhead turned on and provided a bit of light to the occupants. Though, with the switch to artificial light Stephen found himself paying a little more attention to the time. He assumed Tony would indicate when it was time to go (and hopefully  _ where _ they were going) but he’d heard a thing or two about how easily Tony could become distracted as well, so he simply kept in mind the timeline Tony had provided and checked in on the clock on the wall above the door now and then.

All in all he was finding himself anxious as the time grew steadily closer to when they were supposed to go. 

Today had not gone as he’d planned and his head was  _ confused _ to say the least. He knew Tony was a flirt - a rather blatant and unabashed one at that - and playful flirting he could deal with easily enough, so it wasn’t the  _ flirting _ that bothered him, persay.

The trouble came with the things that had been building up over the day  _ besides _ the flirting, starting from the moment when Stephen’s brain had simply shut down before he processed what Tony had meant about  _ taking him to bed _ . And it wasn’t as though Tony had gotten any  _ less _ aggressively flirtatious since, but he  _ had _ made suggestions that were beyond his flirtatious nature that indicated maybe he felt something  _ more _ for Stephen than simply a sense of playful flirtatiousness.

Particularly when it came to the whole stag incident, which Stephen simply couldn’t get out of his mind. 

A faint timer went off and Tony seemed to be drawn from his trance-like work state. The engineer had gone over numerous projects on the holo-screens, closed up on two and had apparently a couple outstanding.

Tony collapsed the hovering screens back into his tablet as he pushed his chair out and turned to Stephen. A half full wine-glass had also be nursed in that time to indicate Tony’s assault on Stephen’s decanter.

“I set a timer so I wouldn’t get too distracted, but it looks like it’s just about time if you want to head over.” The engineer indicated at the reddish sky with smirk, stretching in place before finally standing up.

The sorcerer’s gaze followed Tony’s gesturing to the window and he set one last book aside before sighing softly and giving a slight nod. ‘Want’ wasn’t precisely the word he’d use, not that he  _ objected _ to the idea of spending some time out and about with Tony, but he had a lot of things floating around in his head courtesy of the man and his actions today already. 

Afternoon tea had felt much more like a date than his usual brunches with Christine and it was an almost uncomfortable thought in some ways.

“Do I finally get to find out where we’re off to this evening, then?” He inquired as he glanced back at the man and his half-empty glass. The cloak gave Stephen a small squeeze before quickly adjusting itself once more into a hat to perch on his head. 

_ Ridiculous thing _ , really, but it’s presence was reassuring nevertheless.

“230 Fifth, Rooftop Bar. I got us an igloo in the lounge for dinner.” Tony once again, like clockwork started flicking through images on his phone of their location. “I figured since we’re dressed for the occasion, might as well wear the hell out of these suits, right?” 

There was that trademark Stark confidence as Tony leaned in a little closer this time to show off the bar and then some potential zone-in locations for them. Parks nearby, more distinct and less populated areas within walking distance.

“We could keep everything discrete… Or we could make an  _ entrance _ , your pick doc!”

_ A bar. _ An igloo at a rooftop bar overlooking the city for dinner. If he’d thought the tea had been date-like this already had all the hallmarks of it and Stephen could feel the panic rising even as he fought to keep an air of calm around him. 

The worst part was that it wasn’t as though he  _ didn’t _ find Tony attractive. Tony was gorgeous and clever and witty and a  _ literal genius _ ... he’d been enjoying their time together lately -  _ immensely _ . But getting involved with a man was absolutely out of the question.

He’d spent years with this back and forth tugging at him and the first time he’d even commented on it he’d learned full well that those feelings were not considered  _ acceptable _ .

It hadn’t gotten any easier since, aside from finding himself simply avoiding most men he found himself in any way attracted too. Christine had been certain it had something to do with his ego - he simply didn’t like being around attractive men because they somehow intimidated him. He’d played along with that. 

It suited him well enough.

He knew by this point that there was no stopping himself from  _ having _ the feelings he had towards other men, but he could at the very least prevent himself from  _ acting _ on them.

“I was of the impression that they didn’t privatize the igloos there…”

But he was in this situation now. 

His hands raised and a portal opened into a quiet area of Madison Square Park before he gestured for Tony to lead the way.

Tony stepped through and landed on the other side, he once again offered Stephen a hand in a very gentlemanly-like fashion despite the fact that he had to know the sorcerer would shrug it off again.

“They do,  _ for me _ .” Another playful wink came from Tony.

“I don’t know if I want to imagine all the things you’re allowed to get away with through sheer status.” Sidestepping the offered hand, Stephen began his walk towards the building hosting the bar with a soft sigh to himself, the portal closing behind him swiftly enough as he tucked his hands into his pockets.

The wool of his suit kept him warm enough as they walked, but it hardly stopped him from occasionally casting a glance towards Tony to make sure the other man was warm enough as well. He was wearing the cloak as a hat mostly as a means of allowing it to accompany him without overheating, but he was ready to offer the man the cloak’s warmth if he showed any sign of needing it on the cool spring evening.

Tony trotted on up to Stephen to catch up as the sorcerer had walked past him. He tucked his hands into his pockets as they walked down the streets. Windshields on cars softly illuminated by the setting sun that just barely cracked over the horizon of the main street.

“I could probably make your head spin by just telling you a few - it’s nicer left as a surprise though so I’ll let your imagination do the work.” The brunette’s tone was teasing and friendly. He’d strode up to Stephen, taking his place on the side of the walkway nearest the street as they closed in on the building.

“Careful, you never know what  _ my _ imagination is full of.” Stephen quipped in response, glancing briefly at Tony again but smiling slightly to himself.

He wasn’t about to let his imagination run away with him here, but he could definitely imagine the many things Tony had gotten away with in the past, either through status, money, or the sheer power of the man’s  _ charisma. _

“Ah! So you do know how to  _ play ball… _ ” Tony quipped right back. He approached the building, leading Stephen through the revolving doors and into the elevator that lead to the lounge before pressing the penthouse elevator input.

“Plus, I’m not the type to roll over and give up easy. When I want something -  _ I get it. _ I’m stubborn like that.”

“Somehow that might be the least surprising fact about yourself you’ve told me,” Stephen chuckled softly to himself, leaning against the elevator wall. His eyes turned to the floor counter as they climbed the building a little at a time.

Tony was determined and reasonably focused, he could easily see how the man had gotten so many of the things he’d wanted in life already. He was a  _ presence _ , an absolute force to be reckoned with, and while he was far from some all-powerful entity like some of the newer Avengers to the team were, there was something about Tony that simply reached another level entirely.

But those were thoughts he needed to shut down as well. He didn’t need any more fuel added to the fire of his burgeoning feelings; they had to be able to work together. He couldn’t simply go full radio silence with the man - his  _ patient _ \-  _ like he had with others. _

Mercifully, the  _ ding _ of the elevator drew him away from those thoughts.

The pair stepped out first onto an open patio that overlooked the city. There was an outdoor bar-patio and lining the rooftop were multiple glass domes. Each dome had an array of lights inside, see-through and could roughly seat about twelve people.

As with their tea earlier being out in public with Tony’s presence proved to be an affair as the two of them turned heads upon arrival but Tony seemed unconcerned, spotting a waiter who lead them towards their own personal pod, where he allowed Stephen to take a seat first, waiting at the dome’s entrance for Stephen to walk on through.

“After you cupcake.” He gave Stephen a wide grin, the waiter meanwhile placing drink and food menus down on the table for them inside.

Cupcake… was a new one. The man had begun calling him by his given name today too. It was hardly lost on him that several different indicators of familiarity had been dropped on him all at once, along with the whole spending-the-day-together bit that Tony had planned out.

Sinking himself into a seat, Stephen buried his face in a drink menu and found himself immediately giving the menu a pleased smile. Godiva peppermint hot chocolate? There was no question that he wanted  _ that _ and  _ promptly _ . Though of course, there was supposed to be dinner to consider…

Maybe it would be a  _ little easier with booze to start _ ? Or would it make him more of an idiot? 

_ Questions, questions. _

“Have you been here before?”

“That’s a negative Ghost-Rider, which obviously means this is an adventure for the both of us.” Tony took a moment to look over the drink menu - there were specialty hot drinks, ciders, hot chocolates, coffees spiked with all kinds of different types of liquors and chocolates. 

The menu itself though was pretty standard pub fair, and the drink list was just as typical except for the gimmick that they would be drinking in an igloo overlooking the city of New York.

Tony’s eyes wandered over the rim of the menu, seemingly decided on his order - he was definitely eyeing the sorcerer currently buried in the catalog.

It was impossible to miss Tony’s gaze on him. It was like it had some sort of physical presence, just the weight of the other’s eyes left Stephen feeling oddly warm even as he kept his own eyes on the food menu he’d picked up to replace the drink menu.

“So are you going to tell me what all of this is about, then? Or are all of these kinds of grand gestures how you attempt to bond with people?” He wanted clarity - he didn’t expect he’d  _ get _ any, but it didn’t change his  _ want _ of it. Just for the man to make it clear that none of this was a  _ date _ -date, like it felt like. Something to shut down the part of his brain that kept insisting it  _ was _ . The part of him that was getting too attached to something he didn’t  _ want _ like that.

It didn’t take him long to determine what he wanted, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to look up to properly meet the other man’s eyes. 

He was a little afraid of what he’d see there.

The engineer seemed pretty caught off guard by the forwardness of the question as if he wasn't expecting Stephen to prod further into the nature of their outing. There was a momentary lapse as Tony seemed to mull over the inquiry.

“What this is all about? Can’t a couple handsome men spend a little time together in suit on the town? OK, so maybe I wanted to  _ see you _ outside of sessions - I wanted to take you somewhere nice, to thank you. Spend some time and get to know you a bit more...” Tony trailed off as if there was more to say on the subject but the man had carefully picked his words.

“You know it’s wholly unnecessary to take me out somewhere nice to thank me, right? You literally pay me. That’s generally considered an acceptable exchange for services.”

Stephen finally looked up from his menu. It really wasn’t  _ that _ long and if he continued to simply stare at the thing it would quickly become obvious that he was avoiding looking at the other rather than looking it over. Setting it aside instead, the sorcerer set his hands in his lap and dragged his gaze towards Tony.

”Building a friendship at this point will further complicate my ability to help you through things as a therapist.” It had already, though he’d simply done his best to ignore it thus far for the sake of helping the clearly desperate man.

The trouble was they’d already gotten so much closer in that time and things were cropping up that had a huge part in why being familiar with a patient before taking them on as a patient was considered rather inappropriate. There was no way for him to objectively assess things that related to him and those kinds of assessments were already cropping up.

Of course he’d frozen.

What else was he supposed to do?

“Well, you even said I’m getting better doc from the last assessment. I figured since it’s likely that I’m not going to be needing to come to you on a professional level so much, we can acquaint ourselves a lot more intimately on a friend-based level. I mean, we are colleagues, technically - think of it as a drink after a long day of work?” The engineer’s voice almost held a hint of defense but it seemed to smooth out as he spoke.

Tony had folded his hands out in front of him, a lopsided smile aimed at the sorcerer sitting across the table from him.

Stephen sighed softly at him. 

There were a few clear flaws in Tony’s reasoning, but he was more than willing to let that simply slide, shrugging and offering the man a smile. Getting to know each other as friends he could do. That wasn’t exactly something he’d protest to. He enjoyed Tony’s company, even when they were just idly doing things  _ around _ each other rather than directly interacting. Tony was reliable, which was more than he could say for  _ some _ of the other Avengers, but maturity might’ve played a large part in that.

So he simply gestured to the menu absently. “Well, what are you planning on drinking then? Their drinks menu is an interesting thing and their godiva peppermint hot chocolate is rather calling my name.”

“So the sweet nicknames don’t just apply, but now I can call you hot-stuff as well if you’re going for the hot chocolate. Running joke, just roll with it.” Tony quipped lightly. “I’m personally more feeling a martini or mixed drink, less chocolate so I can’t imagine they’d have trouble doing a rockstar or  _ sex on the beach _ . That or just some Lagavulin neat.” He peered over the menu.

“I was also thinking of just doing the burger, did you figure out what you wanted for dinner?” Tony seemed more invested in Stephen’s side of things than talking about his own. Which was a rarity for the mogul given he was prone to getting lost in his own reflection.

“Should I start expecting that you’re just never going to use my name?” Stephen chuckled to himself a little. There were worse things than nicknames, but Tony seemed to be on a roll with them today and at some point he was certain he’d wind up not realizing Tony was addressing  _ him _ when he used one of them.

“I’m thinking the miso glazed salmon sounds nice. Mind you, that’s not going to go well with the hot chocolate…” With that thought in mind he considered whether he ought to just deal with the hot chocolate later on and settle himself with some tea or water for the time being.

“Well are you particularly hungry? You don’t have to order dinner right away, if you want to enjoy your drinks - you do just that.” Tony softly added. “I personally wouldn’t pair those combinations but you-do-you doc. Or you could just skip the meal entirely and just order yourself a bunch of desserts...” Tony trailed off, a soft elated tonal value to his words.

“My hands shake badly enough without me completely overdoing it with sugar.” Stephen couldn’t help but smile to himself regardless as he shook his head. “I should definitely eat before I start filling up on sweets  _ or _ alcohol, especially after last time. I’m sure I’ll be fine with some water with dinner, and saving the sweet drinks for after.”

Tony let out a loud guffaw with that admission from Stephen.

“Then enjoy your dinner, you can drink or eat all the sweets to your heart's content afterward if that’s your real concern! Though, I have to admit it would be comical and cute to see you on a sugar-high wired out of your mind.”

“I’m sure you’d love that, but I have a reputation to uphold you know.” Stephen offered a playful smirk in response. “It’s bad enough I fell asleep on your couch, I don’t think you need to see me in any other questionably sensible states.”

“Stephen, whatever reputation you think you have was shot a long time ago, with me at least. I also think there are too many flashing lights and strobes for anyone to identify you here… We’re out here to unwind, not worry about your reputation. Take it easy.” The engineer reassured softly with a soft nudge.

Just as soon the waiter came by ready to collect their orders and Tony seemed to have this back and forth with Stephen on if he was ready to order or not.

“Taking it easy is precisely what I’m doing,” Stephen assured before placing his order with the server - just water as a drink.

Tony also placed his, a _ Sex on the Beach, no holding the ice. _ With a smile the young woman jotted their orders down and promptly disappeared.

It wasn’t as though he needed to be getting himself drunk and sleepy at this point as it was still rather on him to get the both of them home. Or risk Tony actually enacting his whole carry-you-bridal-style thing, which didn’t sound like the best idea while Tony was inebriated either.

“You still seem to have some reservations about this and that just won’t do. You do realize I wouldn’t fly you home drunk if you didn’t trust yourself with portals, right? There’s such thing as Uber in the city, we do live in the twenty-first century.” Tony teased softly. “Don’t worry about being the designated ‘driver’ here Stephen, just enjoy yourself!”

“I’m really fine with water until after I’ve eaten.” An Uber. Tony wanted him drunk and in a car. That was definitely a conversation they were going to have eventually.

His hands rather immediately settled into his lap instead of their more relaxed place on the table, but the sorcerer took a couple breaths to otherwise recompose himself, giving a half-shrug as an attempt to brush off his reaction to the idea. “Though I’m glad I don’t have to be concerned about you deciding to _ fly _ home inebriated.”

“If you want a helicopter, I can get us a helicopter.” Tony added. The notion was a little out there but the cadence of the engineer’s voice was serious enough. Especially knowing the lengths Tony would go to for either a joke or proving someone wrong.

"You’re missing out, I'm a great flyer, I could really  _ show you the world _ . We could be like princess Jasmine and Aladdin." He wiggled a brow.

“I have my  _ own _ magic carpet, thank you. And it’s not as though there’s a helipad near the Sanctum, so I’d say a helicopter is a little out of the question. I’m also not particularly keen on cars.” He lifted a hand rather pointedly though only briefly before it joined the other. “Especially not behind the wheel, but they make me uneasy overall now. There are reasons I portal or fly wherever I go as much as possible.”

“What, you don’t think you could cast a portal after a couple drinks?” Tony challenged softly. “I get it, and you’d be surprised where I can get a helicopter to land. Besides, I’ve got drones, suits that could pick you up. If you ever wondered what it would be like to be flown somewhere inside of one of my Iron Man suits… It basically flies itself - err, Friday flies it. Look I’m just trying to give you options - which we have plenty of.”

“I didn’t say anything like that - that’s an assumption you came to all on your own because I decided not to start drinking right away.” Stephen frowned a little bit before simply turning his gaze to the city that was on display.

“You’re being rather pushy about this whole idea of my drinking before I’ve eaten and drawing a lot of conclusions from my desire to be responsible and not wind up making myself sick. I drink very infrequently of late and in case you missed it last week - I’m something of a lightweight. I’d rather make sure I’m taking care of myself.”

Tony lifted his hands up off the table and held them up in a sign of submission. 

“Not the intention here doc, but sorry if I was. Though being quite the party animal myself I’m used to making sure there’s  _ options _ .” The engineer backed off after that, at least seeming to respect that the sorcerer had made a decision on the matter.

It didn’t take long before the server came back setting down a couple waters for the both of them and for Tony an orange and yellow drink with a cherry on the rim and a black straw. The waiter just as soon inquired if the duo were ready to put in their entrees.

Stephen offered the woman a small smile and politely placed his order, his mind unchanged on what he wanted, before he gathered his water to sip at quietly. He hardly saw fit to continue their discussion while the server was there, though he wasn’t exactly in a rush to continue the conversation either. 

A part of him wasn’t certain if he even wanted to drink anymore. There was a discomfort that lingered not so much from the idea of having a couple of drinks and relaxing, nor from the idea that Tony had  _ options _ available to get them home, but from the feeling that there was some kinda of  _ expectation _ that he drink. 

Tony clearly had some ideas about what it meant to ‘relax’ and they weren’t precisely what Stephen would consider in line with his  _ own _ ideas of relaxing or of what he  _ found _ relaxing.

The engineer was next to place his order, just one of the burgers on the menu, cheese, bacon - pretty simple stuff. Drink? Sex on the beach and he leaned over the table to take the straw in his lips quite comically. The server had just as quickly nodded, tucking her pen and paper away to head off and ready their orders.

Stephen remained quiet for a few more minutes as he tried to determine whether Tony’s behaviour was simply a matter of him feeling better when he wasn’t drinking alone - like some excuse where if Stephen drank it gave Tony an excuse to drink more - but with the fact that the man had one drink already in front of him and another ordered he somehow doubted that. Regardless, if this was how Tony relaxed he wasn’t going to begrudge the man his drink and was plenty prepared to get him safely home knowing he was perfectly competent at opening a portal even in a state of intoxication. He’d had to do so with a concussion before, he could hardly think of a reason that alcohol would be some preventative barrier.

“So what made it so hard for you to figure out the whole dream thing? You said it was something that’s never happened before and I can’t help that it’s got me thinking.” The straw fell out of Tony’s mouth as he seemed to lean on his palms while addressing Stephen in such an  _ immature _ fashion.

The sorcerer gave him a rather quizzical look at the question, taking a moment to suss out what the man was asking before sighing softly and considering his response. It wasn’t the easiest question to answer, especially for someone like Tony who didn’t have insight into dreamwalking.

“In a dream the only things that exist are the things the dreamer is focused on either actively or passively. Typically that will manifest in what the dreamer is looking at and a vague sense of setting, which is why when you wake from a dream that you remember it tends to feel foggy and make very little sense how you got from one thing to another. A dream is shaped by the dreamer.

“In most of your dreams you’ve directly envisioned my presence and given me form to walk in through your dreams - a body of a sort that’s able to interact with you as needed, or to walk through the dreams as you manipulate them. My influence is still mostly limited to what I can direct  _ your _ attentions to as the dreamer and the one in control of the dream to cause your focus to shift and create more points of clarity.”

Stephen paused for a moment to take a sip of his water and sort out how best to clarify why there was such a marked difference, and how much there was to discuss about intruders to dreams. Given there  _ were _ no other intruders to Tony’s dream and Stephen wasn’t exercising any power that would have had any control in the dream it didn’t seem worthwhile to explain the ways an intruder  _ could _ effect the dream, leaving him to simply sigh.

“In your most recent dream, unlike others in the past, my presence to you was not a physical one. I had no body to speak of, I was simply an ethereal presence. In that sense nothing in the dream should have responded to me in the slightest. I didn’t exist, or if I did my presence was one that existed in a sort of ‘everywhere’ state despite my own focus being in a particular place. But the stag in the dream didn’t seem to view me the same way as you did - it showed almost a separate consciousness of its own. It saw me for where I focused myself, not for the place my voice came from or anything like that. For the things in a dream to do something that isn’t in some way directed by the dreamer - consciously or subconsciously - is… new to me.”

Tony sipped at his drink inquisitively as Stephen went through his lengthy explanation.

“Alright, so there’s something in my head that could recognize you. What does that entirely mean then for me? Is there something wrong with the way I sleep or something?” The mogul lightly fingered his straw idly as his gaze was fully settled and invested in the sorcerer across the table.

“Or could it potentially be that your presence is affecting my dreams? Which hey - I have no complaints about if that  _ is  _ the case.”

“To be honest? I don’t know.” The sorcerer closed his eyes and shook his head at the admission he hated making before looking at Tony. “Nothing I’ve read indicates that I should’ve been noticed by something unless you were actively determining that it should’ve - and as I said, my form indicated that to  _ you _ I wasn’t exactly  _ there _ despite that you didn’t identify me yourself in the dream. You were very clear in your answer to my question that the stag reminded you of ‘Stephen’ and for you to suddenly decide to refer to me in the third person seems… not like you.

“Of course, I haven’t read anything directly about this situation yet, my knowledge is simply based on passive learning and participation in dreamwalking. So perhaps it really is simply a matter of some kind of familiarity creating that subconscious bond. I didn’t sense any other presences in your dream, even the stag didn’t register as some other entity. It was just you and I there, so that rules out the notion of some kind of intruder in your dream.” Or as least he hoped it did, because if there was something in there that even Stephen couldn’t sense that could prove highly problematic.

Tony’s mind was capable of a great many things with the right incentives, and if someone or some _ thing _ else was prying around in there… Well, it was something he’d have to discuss with Wong at some point most likely. It was best to rule that out, Tony’s mind was far too valuable to allow for any further mishaps.

Tony had seemingly sipped up the last of his beverage as he invested himself in Stephen’s explanation. The engineer still seemed to have no clue on things and just as he was about to speak the server came by with their meals, setting their respective dishes down in front of the them along with a bottle of Grey Goose. The server prompted if there would be anything else they needed tonight to which the mogul nodded and quickly dismissed them, continuing his discussion with the sorcerer.

“So it’s really nothing to be concerned about at this point, from what I gather, or at least we just don’t know?” The engineer didn’t sound particularly worried, more inquisitive with his query.

“It shouldn’t be, no. That doesn’t mean I’m not intending to follow up on it with at least Wong, but perhaps some of the other masters as well. There’s no real way to avoid Wong figuring out whose dream I’m talking about, but your anonymity and privacy is still a priority so the discussion will only include as much as is absolutely required. It’s probably nothing, but I’d rather be overly cautious and  _ wrong _ than not cautious enough and allow something to happen that could’ve been prevented.”

With a small smile he hoped would be sufficiently reassuring to the man just in case he’d managed to add anything that might set the other’s nerves on edge, Stephen shifted forward in his seat and began to slowly work on his vegetables. His gaze flicked between his food and Tony on occasion, prepared to answer any further questions the man had on the matter even as his mind had been brought back to the whole notion of the stag and Tony associating it with him.

Tony took a moment as if trying to digest the information Stephen had given him. He was idly fingering the straw of his class and staring ahead at his meal. It appeared Tony wasn’t much bothered by the prospect - in fact held a very subtle soft smile in response to the words Stephen had spoken to him.

“I’m not going to concern myself with it then. I know you’re the best that there is around - there's been more troubling things in my life to worry about than dream symbolism, especially considering that’s what got me here in the first place.” He laughed softly.

In this case it wasn’t about the symbolism though. At least, that wasn’t the primary issue. The symbolism definitely had an effect on Stephen and if he’d had any real time to sit and think about it beyond the time Tony was sleeping earlier he knew he would’ve been picking at that a little at a time in his head. Less for Tony’s sake at this point and more for his own. And he really,  _ really _ knew better than to do that. 

The symbolism was best left as something dismissed to focus on the more immediate and less pandering issue of why the stag had reacted to him. Stephen considered the issue some as he continued to eat though he gave Tony a small smile of his own. 

“I appreciate your faith in me on the matter. But I don’t think it’s accurate to say that I’m the best dreamwalker around. I’m not even typically a fan of dreamwalking, but if you ask Wong he’d tell you it’s because I prefer to be the center of attention.”

Tony held up a finger as if to interject but he didn’t cut Stephen off.

“Okay, first off I don’t think I know anyone quite as talented as you are when it comes to all of  _ this _ ...” He seemed to trail off as he made a gesture with his arms spread open wide. “Second, I also don’t think ‘dreamwalking’ is a common practice or even a practice at all among shrinks - this is technically an ability or treatment you crowned.” The engineer took a small break to take a bite out of his burger.

“Third. You are the most involved in the situation I’m dealing with and I know, I know… being close to the patient is a taboo but I believe in this case it’s actually been a lot of help - because you understand what I am going through and can look at it from both an objective  _ and _ subjective point of view. Bias, yet detached.”

The sorcerer couldn’t help but smile to himself. It didn’t really matter whether he agreed or disagreed with Tony’s assessment, Tony had his opinion on the matter and trying to sway that opinion wasn’t exactly something he found necessary. That didn’t stop him from gesturing towards the Grey Goose that had been left at the table with a soft chuckle.

“Would you be so kind as to pour me one of those? If you’re going to boast about my skills to my face I should at least celebrate that.”

Tony almost seemed a bit stunned before he nodded and and grabbed hold of the bottle. They’d brought along a couple of egg-shaped shot glasses with ounce measurements along the side. In terms of chasers they’d also set a pitcher of orange juice to pair with the Vodka.

“It would be my honour.” He responded all too enthusiastically, setting one of the crystal shot glass before Stephen and pouring his share first, then his own before doing the same with the orange juice, only filling Stephen’s glass though.

The brunette procured the shot glass and held it up to Stephen for a toast. “I guess this is to a  _ long life _ , here-here!”

Stephen simply laughed again as he carefully raised his small glass to clink gently against Tony’s before simply tossing back the shot - an easy enough task when quickly followed by the orange juice. That didn’t stop him from almost automatically raising a hand to his mouth as the soft cough that followed burned just slightly, though not exactly unpleasantly.

Without Tony’s prompting for it and with most of his meal finished anyway it wasn’t as much of a concern to him to start drinking. At least a little. 

Was a shot the best idea to start with? Maybe not. But how often did he get this kind of opportunity anyway? So what if it had probably been the better part of a decade since he’d had a shot? So what if he was an admitted lightweight? He was out socializing with Tony and despite his hesitance in a lot of ways he still  _ did _ trust Tony to make sure he’d get home safe if it came down to it.

“Mmm, so now that you’ve been resting again what have you been getting up to this past week with that new lease on life?”

Tony watched Stephen with amusement. The normally stoic and reserved mage was definitely venturing out of his comfort zone.

“Oh, well you know… Basically the same things I was doing before, working on my armour because that never stops being something I strive to improve, meetings, company management - except, get this. I’m not tired anymore and actually can concentrate.” Tony had just as quickly down his own shot, slapping the crystal glass on the poor abused wooden tablet stained with years of probably booze and food.

“Well, I do hope that concentration is making things a little more streamlined then. And I can imagine Miss Potts is happier for you getting some rest. We’re all more prone to mistakes when we’re tired.” Finishing up the last of his salmon, Stephen neatly tucked his dishes aside and cradled his water once more with a small but warm smile.

The shot had gone straight to his head he was sure, he could feel the slight buzz, but he was nowhere near tipsy, never mind drunk. While Tony’s rigid (in Stephen’s eyes at least) bed time was approaching it was still far enough off that it wasn’t impossible for the sorcerer to wind up drunk by the end of their outing. He didn’t know how  _ wise _ the idea was but he found himself somewhat less opposed to it than he’d been earlier on.

“Well I’m sure she’s happy that the company is in better hands with my rest, but honestly she hasn’t really been a part of the loop. I don’t actually see her as much as you’d think.” Tony reached for the bottle and began to pour the both of them another shot each.

“Oh, and if you don’t want to drink it, that’s fine - I promise you it won’t go to waste.” The engineer trailed off as if reading Stephen’s mind for a moment as he eyed the sorcerer.

“What about you then, what do you get up to on a  _ normal _ day?”

Stephen simply smiled a little and took the shot anyway. “Thank you. If we’re all settled on the fact that I can probably get us home safely via portal, then I suppose the only problem is how sleepy I get when I drink.” Not the only problem, but the only problem worth mentioning anyway.

“As to what I get up to… lately it’s been fairly quiet. A young lady in Queens had a possessed dog, that was a little unpleasant to deal with given that dealing with certain kinds of possession can be difficult on the host and the poor thing managed to break one of it’s legs resisting me. Wong gave me a hand in giving the little guy a cast, and his owner had happily plastered it with stickers before we even left, so I imagine things will be mostly back to normal for the family again soon.”

Pausing to drink back his shot and chase, the sorcerer thought more on what he’d been up to that might be of any interest to the engineer. He couldn’t imagine much. “Otherwise organizing the library, cataloguing a few of the books - which somehow always winds up in another library disaster - and trying to translate a couple of them. Some are easier than others, of course…”

“Ah the infamous library, it seems like a daunting and endless ongoing project for you.” The engineer threw back his own shot - no chaser as he leaned forward rather invested in Stephen’s tale.

“Now when there’s possessions, what happens to the demons when they leave, and where do they come from? Because this all seems a bit so surreal, probably the first time I’ve ever heard of this kind of thing before.” The brunette’s eyes were glued to the other man’s face.

“Demons  _ or _ otherwise other-dimensional entities.” Stephen corrected absently. “And not all possessions are malicious. I mean, this one was, but not all are. Beyond that I’m sure you  _ have _ heard of this kind of thing before at least once or twice… and simply put as little stock in it all as any scientifically minded individual might.”

He offered the other a somewhat knowing smile at that notion, perfectly well aware that he himself had discarded the notions as absolute crock when he was younger and uninitiated into his current understandings of the world around them. But there was no reason to linger on the thought. It wasn’t meant as a dig at the other, sometimes being able to take a step back and recognize all the times you’d heard of magic and simply dismissed it was a bit of an eye-opener.

“As to where they come from and where they go…? That’s typically dependent on the entity.”

“So what you are saying is they are inter-dimensional aliens that instead of invading earth, invade other people's bodies?” Of course when Tony put it like that it did sound rather farfetched, though there didn’t seem to be any doubt in the engineer’s voice has he made his query. Stephen couldn’t help the smile that split across his face at that and he gave small laugh at that, nodding. 

“Yeah something like that. Not all of these entities have physical forms, or occupy the physical world the way we do. So not unlike a ghost in order to interact with the world it might want to take on a human body. Others occupy almost more… well, let’s just say that not all nightmares are just nightmares. I admit I was a little worried that something like that might have been effecting you, but I recognized full-well that you had ample reason to be struggling to sleep besides that. That said, that’s why there was so much ceremony in the first time I joined you in your dream. I wanted to be prepared in case there was something else going on.”

“And here I thought you were trying to outdo me with flare - which is not an easy thing mind you, but you came pretty damn close.” Tony barked boisterously in return, fingering the empty crystal glass in front of him. His eyes tentatively flicked between Stephen and his own glass as if trying to get a read on whether he should pour out another shot or not.

“So when you’re not trying to play librarian you’re basically this world’s twenty-first century ghostbuster... I can dig it.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure it’s fair to say that I  _ wasn’t _ ... but drama and flare are sort of tools of the trade, you know.” Stephen followed his gaze to the shot glasses before giving a little nod, waving his hand slightly in encouragement. He still  _ meant _ to have that peppermint hot chocolate at some point, but how much difference was  _ one _ more going to make before that?

“I’m literally going to have the Ghostbusters theme stuck in my head all night now. Thanks.” Despite his words, Stephen couldn't keep himself from laughing a little.

“Absolutely my pleasure doc, no seriously.” Tony had a shit eating grin plastered on his mug as he lifted the opaque glass bottle up to pour them both yet another round. The bottle was capped and Tony managed to refill the sorcerer’s orange juice before lifting the oval glass into the air for another toast.

“Alright, now your time to come up with a toast.”

“You’re the worst.” It really was stuck in his head. Dealing with that was going to be annoying.

Still he lifted the shot glass thoughtfully. He had never been particularly good at making toasts. What was he supposed to toast? Tony had done the whole long life bit and he rather expected that the engineer would find it entertaining if he pushed the health direction - because  _ naturally _ a  _ doctor _ would toast to someone’s health. But that was about all Stephen could sort out in that moment, so he went with it.

“To your continued good health.” He didn’t wait on Tony’s response there, though, tossing back his shot and the orange juice that followed quickly enough. His face was feeling a bit warm already after the first two shots, leaving him reasonably certain this should be his last shot. At least for now. If he wanted that hot chocolate… which he  _ did _ .

“Moving, I’m touched.” Tony quipped just as quickly and threw back his shot with a grand smile. He turned his attention back to his burger and took another bite almost like he was trying to balance his inebriation with a little food in his stomach.

“You know it might help if I asked them to put it on, it’s not Halloween but you never know! At least it will get it out of your head.”

“Don’t you dare. Just… leave that alone. Let me hope it will fade into obscurity in my brain with some engaging conversation or something equally distracting and considerably less musical.” Stephen sipped at his water it a little and started to glance at his wrist before remembering Tony had his watch and the damn thing wouldn’t tell him what time it was anyway.

“Fine, fine, I won’t. Even though I could easily just hack into their sound systems here and no one would be the wiser.” He chuckled softly, hands up once again in submission as he leaned back in his chair.

“So I have to ask, how exactly do people find you for their ghostbusting needs? Do you have little flyers you put up? Or an ad somewhere on Craigslist?”

“No, nothing quite so obvious in the slightest.” The sorcerer chuckled and offered a small smile. “When people need me they simply find me. Whether it’s word of mouth or something more spiritual… they always seem to turn up at my front door. Sometimes it’s very roundabout - someone’s sister’s cousin’s husband might’ve gotten help at some point and when oddity is occurring the story gets passed along and they come seeking my help. Occasionally they’ll come to the Sanctum several times and never knock because they’re not sure if they’re crazy coming to some new-age weirdo for help. If they really need the help though… they’ll end up knocking.”

“So If I come knocking at your door tomorrow because I’ve got a hangover and need a _ man in my life  _ to look after me - does that mean I can come to you for help?” Tony let out a soft snort of amusement. “Jokes aside, that’s pretty interesting -  _ the universe _ brings them to you, or you to them.”

“If you have a hangover I’m fairly sure there’s nothing at all magical about the cause.” He gestured to the bottle of Grey Goose rather pointedly, but couldn’t really help the smile on his face.

“There’s something to be said for the small things that the universe does as needed. I mean, almost anyone in Greenwich Village would just outright tell you that if you’re dealing with something weird you should go see the weirdo at 177A Bleecker Street. Except the lady at the deli. She’ll refer you to the  _ Doctor _ at said address. She’s very nice like that.”

“What if a dose of weird is what I'm looking for - along with some help with a hangover. I can see a doctor about my hangover while at the same time seeing a weirdo about my inter-dimensional alien problem. It’s a two-in-one deal!”

“Tony, if the point of all of this is that we’re supposed to be doing the getting to know each other thing to be friends then you don’t need  _ excuses _ to visit me you know. Though, if that’s the overall goal then realistically speaking I should be stepping back quite entirely from a position as your therapist.”

Stephen knew well enough he was too close for all of this. He didn’t bear Tony any ill will in any way, but that wasn’t the issue with closeness in this kind of situation - his feelings about Tony alone could cause him to misunderstand or misinterpret Tony’s words… or worse, lead to him fixating on something as inane as Tony associating something with him.

It  _ should _ have been the clearest sign to him that he needed to back away from the situation he’d gotten himself into.  _ Feelings _ he didn’t want to be having. Feelings he  _ shouldn’t _ be having.

The server’s reappearance broke him out of the thought as she checked in on their needs and Stephen sat up rather suddenly, ecstatic for the opportunity to finally order his hot chocolate - and the excuse to tear himself out of the awkward thoughts he’d been dealing with. The engineer went quiet again as if he was trying to process the information he’d just been left with.

“Hah! So you do consider us friends… In that case I can dial down the flirting a bit - doesn’t mean it’s going to stop entirely -  _ no promises. _ ” Tony almost ignored the presence of the server, he waved a hand to indicate he was good with what he had there.

The server gave a polite nod and disappeared, but it did nothing for the disgruntled expression Stephen leveled on him. “I’m not wholly convinced you could keep yourself from flirting if you  _ tried _ at this point, so it’s not as though I expected any different.”

“I mean can you blame me? I’ve got one of the most handsome and powerful sorcerers in New York sitting across the table from me. I can’t help it doc! The flirting is just part of who I am.” He smiled despite Stephen’s characteristically annoyed look, turning his attention back to his burger to finish it off, not even minding the sides.

Was it worth noting that he was technically the most competent sorcerer who was consistently located in New York? Probably not. It wasn’t like Tony needed any further ammo. But unlike his former quips about Stephen in terms of  _ skill _ this time Tony had decided to take it further, and Stephen was caught in a panic.

On the one hand he wanted to preen. Tony was complimenting him.  _ Tony Stark _ of all people was touting  _ him _ being attractive.

On the other the damned man needed to stop. Stephen was struggling enough with his undesirable crush, and thus far he hadn’t figured out a way of dealing with it.  _ Having _ the crush, while not something he was  _ ever _ going to admit to or act on, wasn’t  _ exactly _ a terrible thing… it was far from the first time he’d had awkward feelings about another man and when it came down to it  _ Tony was exactly his type _ . But the what-ifs kept creeping into his head.

_ What if _ Tony wasn’t just teasing?  _ What if _ they pushed further?  _ What if _ ...?

Stephen had spent his whole life shoving these kinds of thoughts to the side and feeling them eating away at him, pretending they simply didn’t exist - pretending he had no interest in men. And for the most part it hadn’t been such a challenge. The world wasn’t designed for queer men anyway, there were so many reasons to just keep things to himself and not act on them. He felt a certain resentment towards the feelings that cropped up now and then and intruded on his happy façade of being a normal,  _ straight _ man.

And then there was Tony like some kind of wrecking ball determined to destroy that carefully constructed feeling-jail. It was an uncomfortable prospect. So could he blame Tony? Yes. For a lot of things. Just nothing that was  _ appropriate _ to voice aloud, which brought him back to his first point.

“You do know my status as New York’s Sanctum Master  _ is _ actually because I’m  _ the _ most skilled sorcerer in New York, right? Quite possibly in America. Not just  _ one of the most _ ...”

“Honestly, in my opinion? The world, if I were to be quite frank, at least until proven otherwise.” It was almost as if Tony could read that the sorcerer had absorbed the comment and taken his silence as an effect of sorts, because ignoring the compliment didn’t seem to stop or even deter the mogul in any way.

“Not many people out there I know that could diffuse a black hole and split themselves up into millions of alternate copies of themselves. Wanda can be pretty volatile, but I think you’re pretty much up there on a completely different level - that goes without saying.” Though Stephen’s expression was tepid at best since Tony had begun, the engineer’s smile never faltered, in fact almost seemed to soften with the unnecessary praise.

“I did say  _ skilled _ for a reason. Wanda is  _ powerful _ but lacks the discipline and training to be considered  _ skilled _ at this point. With training? Who knows. I’m confident she could be taught at least the Images of Ikonn, but that would be entirely dependent on whether Ikonn was willing to give her his blessing.”

Whether or not he was the best in the  _ world _ was another conversation entirely, and while he’d  _ accept _ the notion, Stephen did have to take a few minutes to consider it. He’d spent a lot of time learning a lot of tricks while he was dealing with Dormammu - he wasn’t as disciplined or well read as Wong, but he had considerably more training and experience than someone like Wanda. 

Of course both he and Wanda had connections with Infinity Stones to thank for their progress as well. Without the Time Stone, Stephen would’ve been no more experienced than anyone else and it would’ve been  _ impossible _ for his skill to overtake Wong’s. But the Time Stone had  _ given _ him time to gain that experience, which allowed him to learn to do what he was able to do now. While Wanda’s power  _ derived _ from an Infinity Stone it simply  _ gave _ her power, it didn’t help her learn to  _ use _ the power she gained.

Was it possible for her to overpower him at some point? It was an interesting thought. He could hardly speak with any kind of certainty on that matter.

“Well, knowledge is power. And you seem to hit the books more than she does so that must mean something.” Tony idly reached for his water and started fingering the condensation on the glass as he did. “I don’t know what this images of Ikonn is, I’m assuming it’s where you split into a hundred different versions of yourself like someone just stepped on a wolf spider carrying babies on it’s back and they all scatter…”

Stephen emitted a disbelieving snort at the man’s words before laughing a bit and nodding. “I mean, less spiders but yes that precise ability. Earlier you asked about demons and where they come from or go and I suggested that not all demons are necessarily bad… some demons are deities of their own dimensions, not unlike how if you considered Hell its own dimension you might consider some version of the Devil to be the deity that reigns there. Ikonn is one such entity that was willing to share his powers and knowledge with me, among a few others.”

“Ok, I hear you. So, demons and powers aside. I have to ask, man-to-man… Have you ever slept with any of these demons? I’m sure you must have had some sort of promiscuous adventures… considering your cloak.” Tony prodded in amusement. It was clear the question was meant to put the sorcerer on the spot, but also prod jestingly for information.

Stephen took a merciful pause to consider how to approach answering Tony’s question as the server returned with his hot chocolate. After a quick affirmation that everything else was alright, the woman disappeared again and Stephen gave Tony a thoughtful look. 

What had the cloak done? He’d definitely seen it do some sassy smacking of the engineer’s ass, and bundle itself up around the man pretty tightly, but it wasn’t as though there hadn’t been times the cloak and Tony _ had been alone together. _

“I’m not wholly sure what you mean about the cloak,” he deflected, “but perhaps once or twice. There’s only so much arguing you can do with a demoness in a red latex suit after all. That said, I'm hardly going to be the idiot who speaks with anything but respect about reasonably powerful entities I'd really like to stay on the good side of." Stephen offered a wink before sipping at his hot chocolate happily.

“Ah, I get you...” Tony returned his own wink in response. “And you said it yourself, the cloak tends to be suggestible - I’m only echoing your previous thoughts, pretty forced, and those words must have come from some place of  _ experience. _ ” The words almost seemed rushed as they came out of Tony’s mouth, though justified his statement.

He felt caught. A little uncomfortably so. He wasn’t about to just admit to fooling around with his cloak - or  _ why _ he would do that, because he definitely felt like for some reason he’d have to justify the action. It wasn’t as though the cloak was even a gendered entity, which made it more bafflingly frustrating to recognize that he definitely felt like he  _ should _ defend himself in some way, or simply  _ deny, deny, deny. _ But he also didn’t exactly want to  _ lie _ to Tony or give him any reason to distrust his words either, which left him in a thoroughly uncomfortable spot indeed.

Taking a long sip of his hot chocolate - perhaps inadvisably as the beverage was still fairly hot and burned his tongue slightly - he tried to figure out a response as he cradled the cup again. 

“The cloak can be very  _ helpful  _ sometimes.” It was all he could muster as some kind of response. Not an outright admittance to anything questionable, but admittance enough that he felt thoroughly uneasy. He couldn’t bring himself to meet Tony’s gaze as he spoke nor after, instead looking out over the city again.

Tony let out of soft muffled chuckle.

“Helpful, huh.” The words almost had the cadence of a question but rather trailed off with more of a thoughtful inflection.

“Must be a very talented and reliable  _ friend _ .” He winked again, but more so directed his gesture to the cloak and less to Stephen, and that could have meant any number of things to the either of them.

Tony seemed to be keen on maintaining the jesting, implicitness of his query.

“It’s not really your business though, is it?” The defensiveness was welling up. It felt like Tony was making his own assumptions - accurate or not was irrelevant, he still felt like he was being accused of something in some rather backhanded way.

Stephen sat a little straighter despite himself, giving Tony a rather stern look before simply returning his attentions to his hot chocolate. Once the drink was finished as far as he was concerned this whole dinner thing could be considered done as well. Along with whatever speculations the other man wanted to make. It had been a lot of fun for a while, but that was wearing thin as he found himself feeling steadily more unnerved by his conflicting emotions and the growing anxiety over Tony’s line of questioning.

Stephen’s hot and cold disposition seemed to pass the message along clearly enough. There was a moment of quiet between the both of them as Tony averted his attention for the moment. He then looked down at Stephen’s drink, seeing that the sorcerer had finished off the rest of his beverage.

It was a reasonable hour to call it, time seemed to fly by and it was about 11:30 PM when Tony made the call to consider wrapping their night up.

“Tab is all covered if you wanted to head out.” There was a hint of sheepishness to his tone.

Stephen was silent, nodding and double checking that he’d gathered his things before climbing to his feet again and waiting on the engineer. Part of him wanted to just leave - the drunk, immature and wholly emotionally conflicted part of him - but the reality was he still  _ had _ enjoyed himself over the course of the day and it would’ve been horribly dickish of him to simply get up and walk out without a word or making sure that Tony got home safe. Especially since they’d been trying for something akin to friendship throughout the day.

Now he wasn’t sure if he could even face the man properly. Shame weighed heavily on him, mixed with defensiveness and frustration. The cloak in its hat form on his head barely felt like it was there most of the day and suddenly it felt  _ very _ heavy, like guilt had given it weight.

The sensible part of him recognized that the alcohol he’d been drinking and the feeling of tiredness that was weighing on him had contributed to his surly mood, but at the same time he didn’t care much what the sensible part of him thought right then. He just wanted to get his head out of the pit of emotions it had gotten stuck in.

“You should get to bed and get some rest yourself…”

“Tired then?” There was a hesitance to Tony’s voice before he slid his chair out. He escorted Stephen out of the rooftop lounge with a nod to the server who bid the two of them on their way.

The elevator ride down to the lobby held a heavy silence, Tony didn’t do much more than fold his hands behind his back and watch the numbers tick away as the elevator descended to the main lobby. He ushered Stephen out of the elevator, holding the door open for the sorcerer.

The two of them arrived at their designated zoning area after a quiet walk and Tony looked to Stephen with soft expression. If there was any awkwardness in the air Tony didn’t seem to be affected by it, in fact more like he’d simply been basking in their presence as they walked.

The engineer held out a hand gesturing at the blank space before them.

“If you would be so kind, doc.” He smiled.

Stephen’s echoing smile felt fake on his face, but he lifted his hands easily enough to create a portal to Tony’s apartment, making no efforts to step through it himself. He was tired. He was moody. His head was all over the place, but the last thing he wanted was to sleep with his mind in this state.

“Good night, I hope you rest well. Thank you for today, it’s been… interesting, to say the least.”

The cloak didn’t seem keen on simply letting the man disappear off without a goodbye and in a moment the hat had become a full cloak once more, making a quick rush over to greet the engineer goodnight through a nudging of his face and a quick squeeze of the shoulders.

There was a soft huff as Tony was tackled by the cloak that seemed to swim around him like an excited goldfish before giving him a farewell hug. Tony looked from Stephen to the cloak before giving it a gentle squeeze as best he could and shooing it off back to its waiting master rather reluctantly.

“I have to say, a pretty damn good  _ first date _ ...” He winked at the cloak and then his sly expression snuck over to Stephen. “With the both of you.”

As if sensing its master’s irritability the cloak gave Tony another light squeeze on the shoulders before snapping back over to Stephen. Tony stepped through the portal, turning to wave to the both of them but it was rather quickly closed behind him.

If he’d thought his head couldn’t get any more muddled, Tony had managed to rather swiftly prove him wrong. It was late and dark despite the lights that lit the park, but Stephen simply slunk to a bench and hung his head.

A  _ date _ was it? Tony really couldn’t help himself, could he? And it left the sorcerer in quite a state as he tried to muddle through everything. If he spent enough time considering it he could logically come to several conclusions that pointed at the idea that Tony really  _ had _ taken him out with the intention of some sort of date. But for every conclusion he could draw in that direction, he could draw several more indicating that it was simply Tony’s generally flirtatious nature - it didn’t  _ mean _ anything.

Even if it  _ was _ something Tony considered a date, did  _ Stephen? _

He didn’t know. 

He was torn on the whole matter, back and forth between the ‘how bad could it be?’ and the ‘I’m not interested in seeing men that way’ that warred in his head. None of it  _ stopped _ him from finding men attractive and struggling with the recognition that it wasn’t just a platonic appreciation. But that recognition didn’t change the fact that he was entirely unwilling to act on that interest. He’d spent his whole life working on cultivating his  _ very straight _ persona, and he was far from ready to give it up.

The cloak nudged at him gently in some kind of question but the sorcerer simply waved it off before covering his head with his hands. Despite his vague dismissal, the cloak hung itself over Stephen’s shoulders and curled around the man to provide some kind of comfort, clearly at a loss for what to do about Stephen’s state.

Stephen had no idea how long he spent there, lost in his own head and getting a slight chill before the cloak dragged him to his feet, leaving the sorcerer to sigh softly.

“Alright, alright. Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)
> 
> This story may slow down in some of its updates coming up as we've both got things going on, but we've already got a lot written and are editing chapters as we go along. While it may not be the every second/third day thing we've been doing so far, you can still anticipate fairly regular updates. :)


	8. Dreamcatcher

 

 

A week had somehow come and gone in no time at all. Tony had been in much better health and spirits despite the end to their last rendezvous feeling a bit _off_.

They hadn’t discussed meeting up for another appointment, Tony had merely assumed that there was one and without any weekly interference from nightmares keeping him up - he continued on with their assumed regular scheduling.

The engineer tucked a small box into his pocket containing the watch he’d offered to repair for the doctor, along with an envelope in the opposing breast pocket of his blazer. He set off and was at his destination in no time at all, a hand lifting to knock at the Sanctum’s door - and as if the building itself _had a mind of its own_ it opened up to allow the engineer passage inside.

Tony stepped into the familiar foyer looking around for the doctor.

“Hey Strange, nice welcome wagon you have here.” Already with the _charm_ , he zested in no particular direction as he plodded on over to his usual spot in the sitting area and waited for the sorcerer.

The cloak was the first to appear, swiftly zooming down the stairs to curl around Tony in an ever so animated greeting that always seemed to stand in such stark contrast to Stephen’s more withdrawn responses. And this time was no different as the sorcerer appeared at the top of the stairs, watching him and looking rather puzzled to say the least.

“... Stark. What brings you here?”

A large, familiar tome was once again in the man’s possession, tucked under an arm as the man slowly descended the staircase and set the book atop a book stand on a table that seemed unusually full of clutter, open to a page that had been marked. Messy notes and drawings were scrawled across a few pieces of paper and a basket full of crumpled discards sat to one side of it as a testament to how much _more_ of a mess the table could have been.

Tony peered up at Stephen almost tilting his head in his own confusion, especially at the perceived distance the doctor seemed to impose between the two of them now. Though, he couldn’t help but feel a little internally crestfallen at how the sorcerer had regarded him.

_Ah, back to ‘Stark’ now._

“Every week, remember Stephen?” He looked up, curling an arm around the fabric of the cloak in a half hug as half of his attention was torn between the cloak and it’s master.

“I mean, that’s what we scheduled. You never called to tell me otherwise.”

“I was of the impression we’d agreed you were well enough not to need my help anymore.” The sorcerer returned, perching himself against the table and giving Tony a considering look briefly, before summoning up a small notebook.

“I suppose if you’re here that impression was inaccurate and I wasn’t quite clear enough about being certain that I’m no longer the best person to be helping you.” He flipped through a couple of pages before finding what he appeared to be looking for and pulling it out to offer to Tony. “There you are. A list of more qualified therapists.”

If Tony hadn't looked the least bit confused before, he definitely was now.

Did he hear that right? Stephen was referring him - _passing him off to some stranger?_

“Wait - what? Why?” His jaw almost hung a little slack at the surprise and his heart elevated in a momentary panic. “Just because I’m feeling better doesn’t mean I can’t treat this as a form of therapy - who knows they might come back once we stop? And your personal involvement was _one of the reasons_ I came to you.”

“We’ve been over all of the ‘why’s of this already. But if you want to talk about my _personal involvement_ in the matter, then let’s take a moment to recollect _precisely_ what I did, just in case you’ve forgotten: I _betrayed your trust_ on Titan, I _allowed_ not only the remaining Guardians to die, but also _Peter Parker_ and myself, leaving you _abandoned on another planet_ thinking everything was lost and everyone was gone. _Remember?_ And I did all of those things _knowingly._ The nightmares you’ve had? The anxiety? The unshakable fear that you’re somehow going to _fail?_ I contributed _heavily enough_ to _all_ of those things on Titan.” The sorcerer responded in a steadily more animated fashion, leaving the cloak to curl almost protectively around the mogul as though it might shield Tony from the onslaught.

“I _can’t help you_ because I’m _too close_ to the situation and _too guilty_ in it. My hands are as covered in ash as anyone’s, because _I knew what would happen._ ”

The words had come on strong to Tony and as soon as he tried to understand the reasoning and understand the angle Stephen was coming from him at he suddenly understood and was left to sit there for a moment in silence, eyes trailing down as he tried to process the outburst.

In a way, it almost seemed to Tony like the more he recovered, the harder it was for Stephen. And to have Stephen continue would be a wholly selfish demand - all things considered - and he was slowly understanding this.

The mogul licked his lips, which seemed parched before he looked down. He reached into his blazer (not before wiggling his arms free from the cloak) and procured both the small box and the envelope which concealed his most recent pay-cheque.

“If you don’t want to do this anymore, then I’m not going to force you Stephen.” He slid both the articles forward along the table. The envelope and then the box on top with the repaired watch, fixed and polished to pristine condition.

“But I also don’t want to continue this with anyone else, there’s a reason I’m only comfortable with _you_ poking around inside my head.”

“Then perhaps you have more trust in me than you ought to, _all things considered._ ” Stephen shook his head some, though he looked at the things Tony had left on the table in a way that seemed as though he might have been ashamed.

The notebook was set aside and the sorcerer reached to pick up the box that held his watch, opening it briefly before closing it again and simply setting it aside with a somewhat softer expression, though he ignored the envelope entirely at first. After a brief period of silence he nudged the envelope back towards the engineer.

“Keep your money.” He turned away, making his way to a desk to pull open a drawer and began to riffle through it for a moment before returning with a shallow box that was considerably larger than even the sorcerer’s not-small hands. Stephen set the box atop the envelope rather pointedly, and the cloak seemed to respond to it at first before settling. “And if you’re worried about the nightmares coming back… that’s what this is for.”

Tony fully intended on leaving the envelope.

Though he looked at the sizable box set down before him and flashed a confused and curious look from it to Stephen.

“What’s this supposed to be? Nothing better jump out and scare me like a jack-in-the box or _so help me…”_ The joke simply couldn’t be resisted with the hint of mirth on Tony’s voice, though the situation was still rather bittersweet for him.

“It’s a dreamcatcher. They catch dreams to bestow upon the dreamer, and reasonably effectively depending on how well it’s made.” The magus answered simply enough, shaking his head and reaching to gently tuck away the box that held his watch. “Thank you for fixing my watch.”

Tony unlocked the latch of the box and turned the lid upright on its hinges. He was pretty taken aback by the dreamcatcher within the box. He reached in to trace the circumference of the ring.

The dreamcatcher was wrapped in red suede around the outside edge, red and gold beads intermingled along the strings and a little cardinal charm was set within the middle of it. Woven together with both black and white string in an intricate web pattern with translucent white beads that almost resembled the morning dew collected on a spiderweb at the break of dawn.

On the hanging tassels, which there were three of, evenly spaced apart along the lower ring with distinct red feathers below it as well. Cardinal feathers with more intricate beadwork overlapping the base of the feathers.

Tony was at a loss for words, his breathing hitched for a moment as he had a hard time formulating some kind of response for Stephen. This meant more, so much more to him than anything up until this point. He lightly fingered the details, draping the feathers over his palm and meticulously setting everything in its place before looking up at Stephen.

His throat was starting to get tight - he was having a hard time speaking.

“Did you… Make this?” Tony regarded Stephen, one hand resting on the web of the inside.

Stephen seemed to hesitate at the question, shifting a little uncomfortably on his feet before giving the slightest nod and busying himself with the book he’d left on the stand.

“The cloak helped. It went on little excursions to collect the feathers, which apparently it has quite an eye for. It disappeared for a whole day at one point and brought back a collection of them to work with. It also gave me a hand holding some of the things still as I worked. I didn’t make the cardinal charm, of course, nor any of the individual materials. I simply put it together and enchanted it.”

Tony considered how long it would have taken Stephen to construct such an intricate looking keepsake - and then not only the man hours but how each piece was considered so thoroughly.

The engineer let out a soft sigh, given the nature of things it was probably best to conclude their doctor-patient relationship here. All of this left Tony to wonder if their dates or outings meant anything. Stephen sure showed his colours in the way he acted and less so with his words.

Tucking the pieces in place Tony turned the lid down and locked the box, smoothing his palm over the surface.

“It’s beautiful…” His eyes traveled over the box albeit solemnly.

“I hardly wanted to ruin your whole aesthetic with something tacky. It should be sufficient to ward off the worst of the nightmares at least.”

The cloak remained gently curled around the engineer and the sorcerer stayed focused on whatever it was he was doing - aimlessly flicking through pages and back again in a way that might have been intended to make him _look_ busy, or might’ve actually been him being busy. It was hard to say. After a brief pause however, Stephen turned his back on the book again to look at Tony.

“If you’re not going to seek out further professional help, at least keep that over your bed when you sleep. If you run out of the witch hazel mixture just let me know and I’ll make some more. It barely takes more than a minute, so don’t hesitate.”

“Yeah… Sure thing doc. I know exactly where I’ll put this.” With no other business left, Tony left the envelope on the table and bent over to retrieve the rather large box. He’d given the cloak a small shrug as if suggesting he needed to be able to move. At first it didn’t budge, but it understood and just as soon slid off of his shoulders to go and hover at the sorcerer’s side.

“Thanks for all the help, you know... with everything. I guess since I don’t really have much else to talk about I’ll go set this up - one more favour though and I won’t be getting into the habit of asking this… Could you help me get home? I don’t want to ruin this flying home. I’m sure the speed would literally shred this thing to pieces - box and all.” Tony regarded the doctor with a sad smile, a sorrow in the pit of his chest - but, there really wasn’t much more.

Normally he would fight Stephen on this treatment, demand more. He was however more concerned about Stephen’s well being than his own at this point, and given the state the Sanctum was apparently in - first the library, now the main sitting area almost showed the sorcerer fraying at his tips and slowly becoming unraveled with each visit.

Giving Tony a long look, the sorcerer eventually nodded a little with a rather enigmatic expression on his face and lifted his hands to open the requested portal. “I hope you have a good day, Tony. You know how to reach me if you need me for anything.”

The cloak seemed to shift and hover slightly closer to the engineer for a moment as though undecided about the whole staying behind thing, though after receiving a look from Stephen it slunk away and simply disappeared up the stairs altogether, giving the impression of a child having a tantrum.

“Likewise, don’t be a stranger. I’m not your patient anymore - that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” He let out a soft laugh.

There was more the brunette wanted to say, but at the same time he didn’t and chose to keep his peace, though he did feel bad as well seeing the cloak slink away. It had really started to grow on him - in many different and also _confusing ways_ but the short notes was he was damn fond of that big red safety blanket.

Tony stepped on through the spinning amber flashing a brief nod and smile to Stephen before the portal was closed behind him, leaving a sense of longing in its wake.

_Guess it was back to normal life._

His first order of business was to hang the dreamcatcher. There was a perfect place right at the head of the bed for it, and it would be something he’d wake up to and look at every morning.

 

* * *

 

It was nearly two hours after sending Tony home and not seeing the cloak flitting around at all that Stephen felt the worry starting to build in his chest.

As if he didn’t have enough things that were stressing him out and making it challenging to want to so much as eat, the idea that the cloak was in some kind of state ate at him. He knew the cloak was fond of Tony - anyone with half a brain who had seen them interacting could tell they enjoyed each other’s company - and apparently the cloak had been of the same mind as Tony about their sessions. That they would, for some reason, be continuing.

He wandered through the Sanctum in search of the cloak for a long while, worry over his companion - his _friend_ \- eating at him a bit before the obvious answer presented itself. The room that still smelled of smokey incense and still boasted slightly used dreamer’s candles had become a new spot for the cloak, which lay draped across the bed.

In so many ways the sorcerer was reminded of a teenager who felt the need to melodramatically throw itself across the bed and bury their face in a pillow to cry about the injustices of the world - but the cloak wasn’t a teenager. The cloak was an _ancient_ entity and he had no desire to make it feel any more awful or put out than it already did.

Instead Stephen sighed softly to himself and sat on the edge of the bed beside the cloak for a moment before slowly laying down beside it, resting his head on the pillow that still smelled faintly of witch hazel, gently reaching a hand out to stroke the cloak.

“I didn’t mean to mislead you about this whole situation.”

With as much emotion as a cloak could possibly portray it seemed to stubbornly curl itself in the other direction - just as a child would turn away from a parent. If it wasn't evident in the way it had slunk away and been acting - it was obvious that it was upset with Stephen, and the sorcerer knew it.

The one wing of the cloak thumped against the bed three times in response to Stephen’s soft admission.

“... are… you shunning me?” His heart hurt at that notion and Stephen sighed, adjusting the pillow he was laying on to wrap his arms around it and the cloak instead. He could only assume the inquiry was a ‘why’ and it could have applied to many things - why was he being like this? Why had he misled the cloak? Why had he ended the sessions? Why had he sent Tony away? - but none of them were easy for him to answer.

“I didn’t _mean_ to mislead you. I thought I’d been fairly clear with Tony - and with you - and apparently I was wrong. I’m sorry. Sometimes I just… assume I’ve gotten my point across, but have thought things instead of saying them aloud. Sometimes I assume there’s been a mutual agreement. I might’ve done both of those things in this situation… but I don’t know what else to do about this.” Why he’d misled the cloak - tackled.

“But I just don’t think I can keep doing these sessions. Aside from all the very human rules of decorum and such that I’m not sure how to explain, I just can’t…” He trailed off. This was harder to get out than he’d expected.

The sorcerer pulled his knees up a bit, curling into a little ball and taking a couple of deep breaths. “I don’t think I can do a relationship with another man, if he was even interested… and I’ve never coped well with crushes on other men. Christine - do you remember her? - she used to think that I hated the men I… was interested in. That I felt threatened by them in some way. And on the latter part she wasn’t wrong. I felt threatened. I felt like I wasn’t as in control of myself as I should be, and that I wasn’t… handling myself _appropriately_. It was easier to create space, so I’d push them away…”

The cloak seemed to deflate some when Stephen placed an arm over it. It didn’t make any attempts to shrink away, but it also didn’t make any attempts to get closer and simply stayed slack under the weight of his arm, ‘facing’ away.

It may have wanted to hear Stephen out though, searching for more answers as it tapped the bed three more times consecutively to inquire further. It currently wasn’t buying any of Stephen’s ‘excuses.’

“... did I answer the wrong question?” The sorcerer inquired softly. “Or did you want me to elaborate on something I said?” The cloak tapped the bed softly, twice in response.

Stephen sighed to himself at that, rubbing at his face slightly before rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. “Like the men I talked about… I like Tony. _Clearly_ so do you. But it’s different. I mean, I suppose it shouldn’t be different, I can imagine my father would be equally irate if he knew I had some kind of relationship with a piece of clothing as when I mentioned an interest in another man. And I do know it’s stupid to a point. Why should it matter who I love? I’m happy for the people who can just… pursue a romantic relationship with whomever they’d like. You know that’s why you’re so important to me, right? Because I love you and it was something that was simple and easy to accept.”

He wrapped his arms around himself in silence for a moment and closed his eyes. “But the narrative is different when it comes to men, or even transgendered folks. It’s not as though my attraction isn’t _there_ , or like my body doesn’t have some kind of reaction to them… but the narrative surrounding it has been so negative all my life. People _hate_ people like me… and I got it into my head that if I just never acted on it then no one would have to know. But not acting on it meant pushing away people the moment I developed feelings for them to protect myself…”

The cloak had continued to lay placid through the explanation.

It had politely stuck around to listen to it’s _beloved_ companion speak his mind but after Stephen had finished his heartfelt monologue there was a pregnant silence that seemed to overtake the room and in that moment it felt like the cloak was not even there in spirit.

It silently lifted itself off the bed, giving Stephen an almost exasperated sigh-like gesture before it floated out of the room and leaving the sorcerer to his devices.

“Levi?” The sorcerer called after it briefly, though with no response from the cloak Stephen simply adjusted in place and pulled the covers over himself. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t his own bed, or that it was only just barely afternoon, or even that he hadn’t bothered to undress in the slightest… he just wanted to sleep all of it away.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t a common thing to see, though it seemed to be growing steadily less _uncommon_ , as Tony had concluded his tasks in the workshop for the day and begun to make his way upstairs. In doing so a distinct and rather unexpected red cloak had made itself rather apparent. At least, it had at first.

Now it appeared to be playing a bit shy, having noticed him and then ducked behind a wall, not hidden by a long shot, but seeming distinctly as though it was uncertain of its welcome. It was nearly 5PM - time for food, rest and relaxation in general as much as he could get - and it had been only about seven hours since he’d last seen the cloak, but after the way it had disappeared without saying a goodbye earlier to see it there now was… _strange_ to say the least.

Tony had come up to his room in nothing but a dirty black tank and some ripped cargo jeans. Flare was always Tony’s style when he had someone to impress - however when alone in the workshop he favored comfort above anything.

Tony turned the corner to his apartment, tired and sluggish after the day. Good rest meant nothing, today took its toll regardless and it was much more now on the emotional and less on the physical.

The engineer keyed in the input for his apartment when the rich crimson caught the corner of his eye and he squinted, tilting his head in the cloak’s direction. He could definitely see the cloak, but he was more surprised if anything to see it had followed him back to the compound.

“Levi?” More inquisitive in his tone and soft spoken, the brunette scratched the back of his head as he did in fact realize he wasn’t _just seeing things_.

Seeming to respond to the designation, the cloak slowly fluttered forward, approaching in the same somewhat timid manner that a nervous animal might. There was a slight trembling to its lower cloth, but it took it’s time growing closer before hovering just a little in front of Tony, the ends of it dragging a little along the ground giving it a sense of melancholy. Tony tilted his head to the other side as he watched it slink it’s way over. If that didn’t scream the poor thing was sad then he didn’t know what did.

The cloak was a welcome sight, _unexpected_ , but wholly welcomed - Tony honestly thought he lost everything in the package deal when Stephen had decided to cut their sessions off.

“OK, that’s got to be the most un-enthusiastic greeting you’ve ever given me, come on - put some heart into it.” The engineer chuckled softly as he held his arms out to welcome the shy garment into an open embrace.

Seeming to accept its welcome and Tony’s teasing the cloak swept forward quickly to bundle itself around Tony with little care for decorum. Taking Tony’s teasing to heart, the cloak made a show of lifting the engineer off his feet and sweeping him into his apartment, its collar nuzzling itself in underneath the man’s chin and ruffling the scruff of his beard.

Tony had wrapped his arms around the cloak but it slunk out of his hold like a cat doing the helicopter - _it was so excitable._ Though he did end up getting a little nervous when the thing lifted him off the ground - _ok, cool flying, yeah you’ve done that before Tony, it’s the same._ Except Tony usually had full control of the situation and in this case he’d felt like a kitten that was just picked up by its hackles.

The cloak eventually settled him on his bed and he reached up to give the cloak a gentle caress with his knuckles as he’d always shown affection.

“So I guess you wanted a proper goodbye, or is there some other reason you’re here? _Not that I’m complaining_ , I’d take your company any day. I just don’t want an angry wizard banging at my door looking for his magic cloak.” Tony paused. “But maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing?” He tilted his cheek into it’s collar.

The cloak cuddled up against him and gently pet and nudged at his face in a manner that was rather affectionate. While it had draped itself over the rest of Tony, it seemed content to simply snuggle against him, not making any moves towards its more frisky behaviours. It gave a gentle two pat, and then nudged itself back under his chin as though it had no intentions of going anywhere. One of its corners patted around in search of the edge of the blanket to try and drag it up and over them both, though with Tony already _laying_ on it, the pair wound up more of a burrito than anything resembling tucked in. And it was far too early to be sleeping anyway.

The cloak’s behavior wasn’t out of the ordinary, but it was telling of how it felt in very subtle ways. For one thing, the cloak had already seemed upset when it had first arrived and now it simply wanted to stay around even after it had gotten it’s chance to see Tony properly. It wasn’t going anywhere now, _in fact making itself right at home with him_.

In the past the cloak’s affections were pretty tame - unless visiting during those few more _amorous nights_ , but even then the intent was clear in what it wanted. Now it sort of just… wanted to linger almost as if something was wrong, like it was still upset.

“So, what’s wrong buddy?” Tony finally inquired in a soft tone, he wriggled his arms free and wrapped them around the part of the cloak that had draped over his front, cradling the affectionate fabric as he leaned into the pillow and go comfortable. “Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?”

The cloak gave a odd shimmy in its spot before finally giving a single pat of affirmation and pressing itself in closer against the engineer.

“Well I know I didn’t do anything wrong - or you wouldn’t be here.” He soothed softly. “You and Stephen had a fight, didn’t you? Or you’re upset at him?” Tony trailed off.

“To be fair, I wasn’t feeling too great either after I left - I thought we had something going you know? Was really picking up some of the signs, felt like we were connecting.” Tony hummed softly, his heart seemed to tighten but everything was made better with the cloak in his arms. He started to gently stroke the back of the cloak with a deep exhale.

“Bah, but I think Stephen may have been right, patient-doctor relationships... He might have been too close. I get the feeling there’s something _he’s not telling me though_ . I got half of that out of him before I left, I know that for sure.” The engineer rambled on as if he’d been having a full conversation until he stopped, realizing he was just… _rambling._

The cloak gave a pair of succinct singular pats after Tony’s first two questions, but seemed to settle as it listened to him, nestled into its spot. As the brunette trailed off, it gave a soft _pat-pat-pat_ of encouragement, apparently content to just listen to him for a time.

Tony’s idle ministrations continued softly as his hand ran over the smooth exterior of the cloak. He took those soft pats as a sign to continue basically spilling his mind. His gaze wandered to the dreamcatcher above and he let out a soft sigh.

“I don’t get that guy sometimes, I can only imagine he’s spent hours upon hours on a nice gesture. A lot of thought went into that and then he turns around and walls me off like a patient afterwards. I know he even referred to me as a friend before, first name basis?”

Tony nosed his face into the collar of the fabric and closed his eyes. He took in the spicy aroma that  lingered so familiarly on the cloak.

“I doubt he has any reason to engage with me on a level other than work… I’m going to miss seeing you guys every week.” The brunette reminisced softly, muffled into the fabric.

The cloak’s fabric rippled again beneath the blankets it had pulled over them, squeezing a little more firmly around the engineer and gently stroking his cheeks.

“As much as I want to stay laying down and fall asleep it is only 5pm. Sleep isn’t on the agenda for a while, I’ve got way too much caffeine pumping through my system and it’s early. Though if you want to come back down to the workshop and help me with some projects I could use a reliable set of helping ‘hands.’"

For a long moment the cloak was still, making no indications either way, before giving a little nod of its collar and slowly unplastering itself from Tony to wriggle out from under the blankets. It hovered patiently in its spot awaiting Tony with a slightly cheerful flutter to its corners. It just as quickly took up the usual spot on Tony’s shoulders as he made his way down to the workshop.

The two spent the rest of the evening together, Tony of course appreciated the company but there was something a little off and he had to worry about the sorcerer in some way. The cloak was basically Stephen’s shadow, and if it was here then he knew that Stephen was going to eventually be concerned about its whereabouts and start to look...

_He wouldn’t be the last place that Stephen would probably check._

The cloak had been an excellent assistant in the lab though, much more helpful (unfortunately) than Dum-E, who seemed to buzz mindlessly around the lab now that it wasn’t really needed. After hours of work the engineer called it a day, cloak hanging off of his shoulders as he retired back up to his room for a good night’s sleep.

Tony nodded and it hopped off of his shoulders, in no suggestive fashion he slipped out of his pants and shirt until he was in his boxers. He sprayed the pillowed with the aroma Stephen had given him before he sat down on the edge and looked over at his red companion hovering around him.

He leaned over, folding his hands in his lap.

“I’m not sure if you’re staying here, but eventually Stephen’s going to come looking for you. I bet he’s missing you already.” Tony nodded softly as he regarded the relic.

The cloak rustled slightly in its spot, drooping just enough for its ends to drag on the floor again before it curled itself gently around Tony’s shoulder’s in a gesture that resembled a hug more than anything. Whether it meant to stay or not wasn’t exactly clarified by the action.

“Hey - don’t be like that, I’m not kicking you out. I’d love your company and you can stay as long as you want-” He curled an arm around the cloaks ends and pulled it into his lap, “-but I also think you have another friend that loves your company too. And probably _needs_ it more than I do, and I think you know that.” Tony smiled trying to cheer the sad looking piece of fabric up.

“Plus, you can always come back, whenever you want. I love your company. And maybe you can even convince Strange to crawl out of his hermit shell eventually and bring him along.”

The cloak continued to seem very much as though it was sulking briefly, squeezing the engineer in a tight hug before fluttering off towards the door. It paused there long enough to offer a small wave to the man, before disappearing off - presumably back home.

"Promise you'll come back and visit? You know it would make me so happy." Tony may have been buttering the cloak up for the sake of trying to cheer it up but nothing he said was at all simply pandering to it. He genuinely felt that way.

Poking its collar back through the door, the cloak paused only briefly before giving a single knock of promise, bobbing its collar as though it was nodding before slinking off entirely.

As the cloak disappeared, Tony let out a deep breath. The lack of presence was noted once the cloak had left, and it genuinely felt like he was alone now after the events of today. He hoped he made the right call, if anything the two of them didn’t seem to be in great spirits and it wasn't like he could really, fully comprehend Stephen’s side of things, or that the sorcerer made any attempts to help him out too. Things felt so one-sided and a lot of this turmoil felt so… unnecessary.

"Fri get the lights for me..." He mumbled solemnly as he slid under the sheets and pulled the tousled blankets over his shoulders.

"Sure thing boss, sweet dreams." The A.I responded softly and Tony closed his eyes, sinking into his bed.

 

* * *

 

The Sanctum was quiet and felt achingly empty, but whatever rest Stephen had gotten still left him feeling sluggish and miserable. Rather than his cloak, a heavy blanket was settled over the sorcerer’s shoulders as he slumped on a couch, looking disheveled and out of sorts as he stared rather vacantly at the book he’d been slowly picking at for well over three weeks now. It didn’t make the book make any _more_ sense unfortunately, as whatever combination of language and coding had gone into it were still, after all this time, proving difficult to make heads or tails of.

Not that he was putting in that much effort at this point anyway. The book was just a distraction - something that felt important to sort out to make sense of the tomb he’d found it in, but also something to keep his mind off of his misery. He was failing at both of those things at that moment.

Sinking further into his seat he eventually reclined across the couch, his head on the armrest and his feet dangling over the other end of the not-long-enough-to-be-a-bed couch.

He didn’t know why the cloak was cross with him. He could only assume it had to do with Tony, but it was impossible to determine _why_ the cloak was so distinctly off-put by the way things had gone. _Obviously_ it liked Tony, that much was no secret, but notion that it liked Tony enough that it would simply take off when he was making an effort to appeal to it… the notion that he’d had to appeal to it in some way to _begin_ with for affection it normally gave so freely…

Stephen felt confused. He didn’t know what he’d done wrong beyond this whole ordeal with Tony and the specifics of it all were so lost on him that he wasn’t even sure _how_ to make amends to the cloak.

The cloak had come in silently, having eventually re-entered the Sanctum through it’s front doors. The building accepted it like it was part itself.

The door cracked a bit, sending out a soft echoing pitch before it closed with a deep rumble and the cloak slowly began searching around the Sanctum, swimming through the air to find Stephen. It succeeded in no time, sprawled in a depressive mess over the short sitting couch and quietly took up the space next to him, floating beside him with a slight air of indifference.

The creaking of the door caught his attention, though at first he thought he was hearing things. After a moment he pulled himself into a seated position to try and determine what the noise had been only to come face to fabric with the cloak.

Stephen was quiet for a time as he looked the cloak over briefly, checking that it was still in a good state, before he cocooned himself further into the blanket he’d been using as a surrogate cloak and dropped his gaze to the floor.

“Welcome home,” he offered the greeting quietly enough, but unlike earlier in the day he didn’t bother to reach out to it again. If the cloak wanted its space… he wasn’t going to fight it on the matter. It had as much of a right to do what it wanted as anything else.

The cloak nodded slightly in response to Stephen’s greeting.

Apparently not in the mood to be terribly affectionate it laid itself along the back of the couch, draping a part of it’s lower end over Stephen’s waist. It did smell uncharacteristically different than the usual aroma of the Sanctum it commonly held. Stephen could easily get a whiff of a distinctly familiar scent as it breezed by him and laid itself down.

The sorcerer hesitated briefly before gently brushing at the fabric over his waist, once and no further before tucking his arms back around himself and laying down again.

“Visited a friend?” he inquired softly, bundling himself tightly in the blanket and staring into the darkness of the Sanctum at night. It was late… _very_ late for the cloak to be returning from somewhere, and the dots weren’t the most difficult to connect. He knew full well when Tony was supposed to be getting to sleep, and approximately how long it took to travel from the compound to the Sanctum even without a portal.

He didn’t know why he asked a question he already knew the answer to in some way, but it left him to simply sigh and close his eyes. “I hope he’s well.”

The cloak made a soft gentle pat on his side, but nothing else. It was content to stay where it was, though still apparently trying to get over everything that happened today. It didn't pull away when Stephen had reached out to pet it, but likewise it was doing it's best impression of a lifeless piece of outerwear that it possibly could.

For days it went on that way - the cloak barely interacted with him at first beyond passing contact. It would disappear for hours and return late enough at night to make it reasonably clear to the sorcerer where it had gone, if the scent of grease and witch hazel didn’t tell the tale plainly enough. The sorcerer kept to himself but for a couple of tasks that required his skills - one of which the cloak had disappeared before, leaving him to tackle the job alone.

It was nearly his breaking point then. There was a certain loneliness in the whole thing, a sense of isolation he hadn’t felt in a very long time - not since before he’d been to Kamar-Taj. He’d been distracted enough by the thoughts of that potential abandonment and being very much _grounded_ that in hindsight it shouldn’t have been any surprise that he’d been cut. It was long but fairly shallow thanks to some reasonable reflexes, and even once he’d returned home from the task he could do little more with the wound than to stare at it in the mirror as he cleaned it up and made certain it wasn’t going to get infected - a simple cut from his temple along his cheek nearly to his nose.

He could have lost an eye if things had gone any differently - or at the very least damaged his eye - but instead he carefully bandaged the wound and simply retired for the night, woken by the return of the cloak and it pressing agitatedly at his face near the bandage.

“I’m fine,” Stephen reassured the cloak softly, “It’s fine. Welcome home.”

That should have been enough - he wanted it to be. He simply wanted to sleep as he so often had over the last week. But the cloak wasn’t having any of it, nudging him firmly when he tried to simply curl up and go back to sleep, giving a firm triple pat to the bed and fussing slightly.

“A poltergeist. Nothing to worry about,” He responded sleepily, dismissive of the question at first, before the cloak got further into his space. He’d answered the wrong question, apparently. That wasn’t what the cloak wanted to know.

It took a little time to determine what the cloak wanted, but eventually it became clear enough that it wanted to know why Stephen had gone _without_ it, and the sorcerer couldn’t help but sigh at that.

“You were busy. I didn’t want to disrupt you.” Fussy and now further agitated, the cloak bundled itself tightly around the sorcerer, for the first time in more than a week and simply stayed with him.

His arms slowly wrapped around the cloak and he cuddled in to it, burying his face in the scents of the cloak that were so distinctly unusual for it, but had been growing steadily more common. Somehow it smelled more of Tony lately than it did of the Sanctum, and he found it simultaneously sad and enjoyable enough.

“I missed you,” he murmured softly against the fabric, “I’m so sorry I made you so… unhappy.”

The red fabric curled more around Stephen, sinking itself in closer to the sorcerer tightly. It was a change of pace to the usual aloofness it had maintained throughout their time since the incident but the cloak had shown some strong concern about the wound on Stephen’s cheek as it quivered almost anxiously.

It squeezed the sorcerer in a tight hug in response to his soft admission, accepting the apology and papping Stephen softly on the noggin once to try and convey its acceptance.

As the drowsy sorcerer started to fade away, it fussed and gently smoothed its corners over the patched up wound, affectionately stroking it and Stephen’s hair.

It was almost as if there was a bottleneck in affection it hadn’t been able to show for a while, and it was all coming out at once. The cloak had given Stephen a final good night squeeze, curling around his neck lightly and nuzzling into the space between the pillow and Stephen’s head with another few soft pats.

“‘Love you, Levi.” Stephen yawned as he slowly dozed off, sinking away into an odd but pleasant enough dream that he was unlikely to remember in the morning.

All that was clear were red feathers.

 

* * *

 

 Levi had stuck around Stephen the next day.  It fussed and cared for him in every way it could in the morning, kept him company as he studied throughout the day as Stephen picked at that same novel exhaustively and when it wasn’t hanging off of his shoulders it was following him around like a lost puppy.

The day had passed and the cloak also had other intentions, specifically in visiting Tony as it always had, and _quite predictably ran off to do_. Stephen knew this by the way it suddenly left his shoulders or his side at roughly the same time each day - almost like clockwork.

Except this time, as it went to leave, it paused there almost waiting for a response from the sorcerer.

It had slipped off Stephen’s shoulders and it could tell by the way Stephen’s body reacted that he had questions, though not spoken. The cloak turned around because this time it had other plans from what the sorcerer could see - it waited and nodded to follow him after brief contemplation, trying to coax the sorcerer into following in the best way it could communicate, which was prodding at his sling ring and doing spins and pirouettes in the air to try and let him know it wanted him to come with it this time. Not to mention circling around back and trying to nudge Stephen softly.

 _To where?_ Stephen would know, it was the only other place it ran off to when it parted from the sorcerer’s side.

At first he’d thought the cloak simply wanted a quicker way to get there, but with the way he was pressed at and nudged it became hard to assume the cloak wanted anything _other_ than for him to join it on the travel. Looking at the time, the sorcerer sighed softly to himself.

“Well, shall we at least bring him dinner rather than my just… showing up unannounced?” Not that he wouldn’t still be showing up unannounced this way, but there was something about the idea of simply visiting Tony without any clear and easily defined _reason_ that made him a little apprehensive.

There was a part of him that still wanted to fight tooth and nail to maintain his distance, afraid of getting any closer to the engineer than necessary for the sake of a mindset that he knew full well was doing him more harm than good at this point, and it simply manifested in his hesitation instead. “We could bring him burgers, or pizza or something… what do you think?”

The cloak seemed to clap the wings of it’s collar together excitedly before reaching over and patting Stephen on the shoulder a couple times indicating it wanted the second option.

It once again circled around Stephen before settling onto his shoulders and giving him a very firm and excited squeeze, nudging up against his cheek.

“Alright, pizza it is then.”

There was a quaint little pizza place up the block that made reasonable pizza and was only a short walk from them, so he made a brief call ahead for a few pretty basic pizzas, before trying to put himself together well enough to be presentable in general. He touched lightly at the bandaid on his cheek and wrinkled his nose a bit before dismissing it from his mind and gathering the cloak up to get the pizzas.

It was less than fifteen minutes later that the sorcerer opened a portal to the compound, leaving a pair of large pizzas in the canteen, giving the vaguest of waves to a rather confused looking Carol Danvers (who nevertheless helped herself to a piece of pizza before alerting the others that they’d been given the gift of pizza by a wondrous pizza wizard) and allowing the cloak to lead the way towards wherever Tony might be tucked away.

Just as the cloak traversed unhindered through the Sanctum, likewise it did so in the compound. Friday pleasantly greeted both Stephen and the cloak as they headed into the direction of Tony’s workshop, where the cloak (who seemed to have memorized Tony’s schedule) led the two of then.

 

* * *

 

Tony was focused hard on his work, so much that the aroma of food didn’t quite register until he saw the crimson out of his peripheral.

Tony knew the cloak’s presence, he never mistook it and it had been a regular thing for the Levi to be popping by unannounced. Friday had also not bothered warning him, thinking it was cute when Tony was a surprised - which he always was.

_Although this time was different._

He caught the red in the corner of his eye and turned to greet the cloak when he saw the blue robes and immediately thought he was imagining things. He turned around in his chair to spot the _wizard_ carrying a pizza box and the cloak leading him.

“Stephen! This is… uh, different! A pleasant surprise, but unexpected.” Tony _was_ surprised to say the least.

He always joked with Levi about bringing the sorcerer along but he never actually _expected_ one day the cloak would actually manage to get the magus over to the compound.

“If I’m interrupting I can…” the sorcerer pointed to the door hesitantly, clearly not certain if he should be there or not despite Tony’s indication that it was a _pleasant_ surprise. “But… Levi seemed to think you might want pizza… and company…”

The cloak took no time at all in further nudging the magus into the room and away from the door. Once it was satisfied that the man was far enough from the exit, it happily flounced its way over to Tony to greet him with rather familiar nudges and snuggles.

The engineer enthusiastically accepted the cloak into his arms, squeezing it before letting his hold go slack.

“You’re not going anywhere. You’re going to sit down and eat pizza with me.” Tony declared rather adamantly as he stood up out of his chair, stretching and walking over to Stephen with open arms as if to hug him - but just as soon remembering, _no, that was the cloak that did that. Not Stephen._

Instead he misdirected with a hand on Stephen’s shoulders, squeezing it as he tried to usher Stephen over to the couch and coffee table set up in the lab. _The same one they’d gotten drunk on that one night._

Giving a little nod, Stephen allowed himself to be directed to the couch, settling the rather large box of pizza on the table before sitting himself down on the couch. There was a slightly nervous air about the man that the cloak seemed to emphasize by settling itself over the magus’ shoulders rather than sticking with Tony as it usually did.

“I figured at this hour you might be more into your relaxing time than work, I really am sorry for interrupting. I was following the cloak’s lead on this one.” Stephen explained, with a shrug. “I also wanted to make sure you were holding up okay and that there hadn’t been any odd incidents or anything.”

Tony threw open the lid of the pizza box and grabbed one of the slices. He was a lot more peckish than he’d initially thought. The smell of a freshly cooked pie seemed to really rile up his hunger.

“I’m great Stephen, I hope you’ve been good as well?” It was a half question, half suggestion. “The dreamcatcher and the aromas you gave me are working miracles, you have no idea...” He trailed off, his full attention on the sorcerer at his side. “It’s really sweet of you to check up on me, thank you…”

The cloak in turn gave Stephen’s shoulders another gentle squeeze.

“I’m glad things have been working well enough for you.” Stephen nodded slightly, reaching to finally collect up a piece of pizza himself, contemplating Tony’s question before giving a little shrug. “The Sanctum’s been… quieter than usual. I’d say it’s been great for working on things, but I’ve gotten approximately _nothing_ productive accomplished, at the Sanctum itself, so that would be rather misleading.”

His fingers gently brushed at the edges of the cloak, but he offered a small smile to Tony regardless. “My own fault mind you. I keep fixating on a rather pain in the ass project I want to get done and I think this book might legitimately hate me.” The sorcerer’s attention turned on his pizza after that as he focused in on it contentedly.

Tony chewed at his piece of pizza with a smile.

“Thanks for the pizza by the way - I think you really _hit the spot with this one._ ” He swallowed and took another bite. “I wish I could help you, sounds rough but I can’t say I know the first thing about magic at all Steph.” The nickname kind of just popped out.

Although there’d been some distance between them it didn’t stop the mogul from the fond little nicknames he had for Stephen. _Which he had so many of_.

“No worries. I figured showing up with food would be preferential to just _showing up_ unannounced.” Stephen shrugged slightly, before glancing at the man. “But I also wasn’t expecting you to know anything about it. Just… frustrating little things that happen with projects. And any time I try to get anyone but Wong to look at it with me, _someone_ gets fussy…” Despite his _ambiguous_ use of ‘someone,’ Stephen indicated the cloak with a little tilt of the head.

“I hope your projects have been going more smoothly in any case.”

“I mean I have to give you a lot of credit. I found a nice spot for that _beautiful_ dreamcatcher you made me…” He took bite out of the pizza and stood up, walking over to the bar. “Also did you want anything while I’m up, water? Tea? Anything? I’m just grabbing myself a whiskey.”

The engineer had interrupted himself.

“Tea would be lovely, thank you.” Stephen smiled gently as he snagged another piece of pizza and gave the cloak a pat with his clean hand.

“I’m glad the dreamcatcher isn’t too terribly out of place for you. The aesthetic isn’t for everyone, but I did make at least _some_ efforts based on what I know about you to keep it from being entirely off the mark. I did forget to mention - if any of the beads crack or change colour, do alert me as quickly as possible. That could be a sign that something _is_ attempting to get into your dreams that shouldn’t be there.”

Tony nodded and flicked the notch on the hot-water boiler to set the kettle going.

“I’m afraid I don't have much in terms of tea, just standard green, a genmaicha and an herbal rose, but if you wanted something else I could just as easily order it here or probably check in the compound’s cafeteria.” Tony stood by the kettle as the steam began coming out of the spout, waiting for the water to boil entirely as well as Stephen’s choice before picking out a flavour of tea.

“Green tea is fine. I’m sure by now the cafeteria is plenty crowded. I’m fairly sure I heard someone refer to me as the ‘pizza wizard,’ which I suppose is an improvement from ‘beer witch’...” Stephen sighed a little, though there was a certain fondness in his tone despite his lamentation.

“Right because that would really affect me.” Tony quipped and riffled through his very limited supply. He managed to procure a menial instant tea-bag from a box and set the bag to steep, grabbing a small plate and spoon and setting it on the table with the mug fixed in the center.

Tony took a seat, intent on reaching for another slice of pizza when the closest side of the cloak, to him, reached out and curled around his shoulders, hauling him in against Stephen’s side. It took the mogul a moment to process what was happening, and before he knew it he was sandwiched up against Stephen’s side, shoulder-to-shoulder with a very affectionate cloak curled around them both.

_This is fine._

If Stephen was surprised by the cloak’s actions he didn’t show it much more than his body stiffening for a brief moment before relaxing. “Seems to me the cloak has determined that if we’re both on this couch it’s mandatory that we sit as close together as possible, despite there being _plenty of space_ on the couch.”

The magus chuckled softly to himself and shook his head. “I assume this is just one of those moments where the cloak wants to be able to hug both of its favourite people at once.”

“Hah - oh yeah… so… You probably know then huh…?” Tony felt rather sheepish when Stephen brought up their implied rendezvous. He chewed a little on his front lip, his gaze darting a little to the side. He knew the answer most likely but he was going to ask anyways.

“So how’d you figure it out…?” Tony nodded his head at the cloak and kind of just settled into Stephen’s side with a contrite sag of his shoulders. He kept his query ambiguous, just in case _they weren’t talking about the same thing_.

Stephen glanced over at Tony with an expression of curiosity and a small twitch of his lips indicated a certain mirth. “A little bit of a math and a little bit of common sense. Levi was pretty miffed with me after you left the other day. After making that very clear, it left and didn’t return until a conspicuously appropriate time after we’d set your bedtime - and when it did return, it smelled of grease and witch hazel. Though…” His gaze turned to the cloak for a brief moment. “... Now I’m starting to suspect there might’ve been more to it than just _visits._ ”

“Uhh… yeah, that’s right - Levi has been paying me some visits here and there.” Tony completely ghosted over the implications Stephen had been drawing off of. His gaze was averted during his explanation, not sure what he would say if Stephen chose to push further into it.

“You know, shows up and helps me get to sleep, checks on me, gives me a helping hand in the workshop… That sort of stuff!”

“For a businessman your poker face is terrible,” Stephen chuckled softly, but mercifully didn’t push any further on the matter, simply giving the cloak an absent pat. “I’m glad you two get on well enough, but I will be needing Levi at home a little more often. Without it I can’t fly and… frankly I’m used to having the backup when there are things I need to do.”

“Stephen what on Earth are you implying with that tone of yours? Poker face my ass.” Tony challenged him. He was literally digging his own grave but it wasn’t like the mogul to simply let himself be pushed over.

Stephen’s hands reached for the steeped cup of tea as he gave Tony a thoroughly amused look. “I was _implying_ and am now outright _stating_ that I have good reason to believe you’ve seduced my cloak, and have been engaging in a rather more _intimate_ friendship.”

Tony’s brain literally broke in half.

He was caught, found out - it was over.

_Shit._

So he did the best thing he could do, which was argue his way out of the hole he’d dug himself.

“W-what?! No - wait you’ve got it all wrong - it seduced me! I didn’t do a damn thing!” Tony turned to look up at Stephen, the cloak relentlessly keeping the two jammed together.

“I was just winding down one night and it _followed me home_ \- god - Stephen I would never do that to your cloak. I said it was a bad idea but it _insisted_ everything was fine...” He huffed, turning his head to face away from Stephen, completely red in the cheeks.

Lord, he couldn’t face him now. It was over for him.

And Stephen had the audacity to _laugh._

It was a gentle thing, no mocking in it as he watched the man proclaim his innocence, but a laugh at his expense nevertheless. Reaching a hand to rest it on Tony’s knee, Stephen patted him softly.

“Relax, Tony. _Relax_ ... I _warned_ you it was suggestible and I’m definitely inclined to believe that Levi was the maestro of the affair, at least to begin with.”

Tony practically shrunk into the couch as if he was trying to become one with it.

_How embarrassing…_

He dug himself into the space between Stephen’s closest arm and the couch cushion having turned away but the hand on his knee was a very welcome gesture. Though his face was completely red he finally turned to meet Stephen’s eye contact to face him, heart pounding erratically in his chest. He honestly thought he'd melt into a puddle right then and there.

_Laughter hadn’t been the worst of the results he’d attempted to predict._

“I mean… I did clean Levi afterwards… I - just… Ugh.” He looked away again, _how was he even having this conversation with Stephen?_

The cloak gave the two of them another squeeze.

“You… _washed_...” Stephen covered his mouth with the hand not holding his tea as he laughed a little more, shaking his head. “That's very considerate of you. But it’s a magic cloak. Levi can clean itself - though I’m sure it appreciated all the attention…”

The sorcerer gave him an amused smile, patting the cloak gently again. “Didn’t you?” The cloak responded with a singular pat of affirmation, cuddling in against the duo happily enough.

This wasn’t fair, Tony was being picked on.

“I- what? I’ve washed it _multiple_ times!” He didn’t know what else to say, crossing his arms over his chest having shrunken into Stephen’s side.

_Shit, probably shouldn't have said that._

Smiling warmly at the man, Stephen shook his head. “Well, if it enjoyed being washed the first time I can only imagine why it would have allowed you to keep washing it. It’s not as though it harms the cloak any _to_ wash it, but it’s not necessary. It’s simple magic in the category of prestidigitation - most useful on fabric when dealing with some of the things _we’ve_ been covered in, hm Levi?”

Once again the cloak gave a tap, though this time it nudged itself in against Tony’s cheek to give him a reassuring pat of its own. Stephen simply adjusted a little in his spot as he continued to watch Tony become steadily smaller.

“Should I lean forward so you can hide behind me entirely?” He teased.

“Joking aside… It was good company, yes in more ways than one. I missed it when we stopped _seeing each other_ … You know, _for sessions_.” He trailed off trying to misdirect the conversation with his earnest words. He turned a cherry-red face to look back up at Stephen.

“The nightmares have stopped but I still get dreams of cardinals and stags and they all lead back to you and the cloak. Albeit better than nightmares and me being well rested, it’s still confusing.” The cloak nuzzled Tony and he resigned himself to leaning more into Stephen.

He had resigned himself to accept the teasing.

“Well, I’m not _opposed_ if you want to come by and spend time with the cloak - or myself - at times. It would be nice to have slightly more ready access to my battle cape.” He received a quick swat from the cloak for being called a cape, and gave the fabric a sheepish grin. “Battle _cloak_ , sorry.”

Sipping at his tea for a moment, Stephen continued to smile, shaking his head slightly as he refocused. “I’m glad the nightmares seem to be mostly dealt with, and I’m not terribly surprised that you’re still dreaming about the cardinal…” There was an odd hesitation to the man’s voice before he continued on. “I get the feeling whatever it is it’s trying to act as a guide, and there are certainly worse things to have in your dreams than a guide.”

The cloak’s hold on the two seemed to relinquish but Tony made no effort to move away from Stephen’s side, comfortably nestled in there.

“That would be great, I miss the company I had when you’d come over and work in the lab with me. I wasn’t just solely talking about the cloak here...” He laughed softly. “I also get the feeling it feels the same way about this too.”

As the two chatted, the cloak slunk away entirely, its attention on a figure drawing on one of Tony’s screens that it seemed more than a little bit excited by, which caught the sorcerer’s attention. Apparently he also didn’t feel the need to move as rather than getting up to go check out what the cloak was attempting to draw attention to, Stephen simply leaned back into the couch further, watching Tony.

“Well it certainly didn’t like the notion of us not meeting up weekly, clearly.”

Tony had momentarily had his attention drawn to the cut on Stephen’s face. He’d originally wanted to say something but had initially forgotten. He didn’t pay much attention to Levi checking out his lab - it was far from out of the ordinary to have people poking around.

“Say doc, what happened here?” He pointed on his own face to indicate the bandage.

“I essentially went into battle without armour,” Stephen shrugged. “The absence of my battle cloak, as previously mentioned. That’s why I’ll be needing it at home at least a little more often than it has been. I’m hardly going to step in like some overbearing parent to tell you that you’re not allowed to see my cloak. It’s far older than I am. It can make its own decisions…”

The cloak, unused to the pair ignoring it, made a rather grand gesture that once again caught Stephen’s gaze, leaving the other to finally tilt his head a bit and hum in thought. “Don’t break anything, Levi. Please.”

Tony was the first one to finally stand up from his spot, walking over to the cloak to inspect some plans that were open on one of the holo screens.

“I take it Levi’s got an affinity for my inventions, seems rather impressed by my most recent schematics.”

With Tony no longer leaning in against his side, Stephen slowly rose to his feet to see what all the fuss was about. It was only when he took a closer look at the invention in question that the sorcerer stood a little straighter, giving the cloak a rather surprised look. Sorcerer and cloak seemed to share in some unspoken conversation for a moment before blue-grey eyes settled firmly on Tony.

“This… is one of your inventions…?”

“Yeah, what of it doc? It’s the old schematics for a power source component in the original arc reactor prototype...” Tony tilted his head at the doctor’s expressed interest, wholly confused.

"Ohhh boy. Do you have some free time? Because I have something you need to take a look at."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	9. The Druid

No time was spared as Tony found himself at the Sanctum with Stephen and the cloak. Tony quite stubbornly insisted on taking the pizza with them since he wasn’t about the leave that at home.

_ The man loved his pizza _ , what could he say?

He looked pretty funny carrying the wide, flat box under his arm, one slice in his hand as he hopped through the portal, addressing Stephen with a mouthful.

“OK, so what did you want me to take a look at?”

“Sorry about the mess… come over here.” The Sanctum was clearly not in a state meant for visitors. If it had looked bad  _ last _ time Tony was there, it was somehow pointedly  _ worse _ this time though the sorcerer seemed at least a little sheepish about that even as he gestured to the place that seemed very much as though it was the source the mess radiated out from.

Lights illuminated the room quite suddenly, a couple of lamps on the table in particular directing him to where he ought to go just in case Stephen’s lead was insufficient. The cloak had once again settled on the sorcerer’s shoulders as the man approached a familiar book, flipping through a couple of pages until he was a dozen or so pages into the book, pausing there and stepping aside.

It became rather apparent precisely why the magus had responded that way as soon as Tony was near enough to see the diagram -  _ illustration? _ \- on the page. Somehow, against all odds, it looked  _ distinctly _ similar to the schematic that the cloak had been freaking out about. 

It looked as if it was related to the Arc Reactor technology.

Tony leaned over inspecting the design. It was almost exactly identical, save for a few base differences. He set down his tablet and let the diagram from the lab pop up and hover right next to the diagram in the book.

“Ok, one: I never took you for being interested in quantum energy, I thought magic was exclusively your thing.” Tony tapped the pages of the book softly. “Two: where… did you find this book? This design is my own patent, I find it pretty unbelievable to consider this is one of your spell books and not something you dug up on the coast of Siberia written by some coot trying to sell knock-offs.”

Tony was confused and surprised as he looked back and forth between Stephen and the book.

The sorcerer simply flipped two pages earlier in the book to display a rather intricate series of symbols, summoning another book down from the library and flipping it open to display  _ vaguely _ similar symbols in that book.

“I’m  _ not _ particularly interested in quantum  _ anything _ beyond its relation to alternate dimensions, Tony. And this book  _ came _ from one such dimension - a pocket dimension, in a tomb. This book is that project I’ve been talking about making no headway with. I haven’t been able to make heads or tails of it, and if  _ technology _ and not  _ magic _ is the reasoning then this book thwarting me at every turn suddenly makes a good deal more sense.”

Tony leafed through the pages slowly.

Some of the diagrams made clear sense to him while others were vexing and peculiar. Basic diagrams and drawings that almost looked to be research scrawled hastily of small mechanical models next to compounds and reagents of sorts - arrays of simple designs that spanned all the way to what Stephen had initially shown him in the book.

“I...” He started, flicking a few more pages. “... Well... I can tell you that some of these designs aren’t wholly scientific in nature, there’s other elements to them and I’m familiar with a few of the principal builds and diagrams...” He perused curiously.

“But I don’t understand this language and I don’t think I can be much more helpful unless I have a translation. Do you know how to understand this dialect or read it in any way? It’s heads or tails on what the dialect even  _ is _ .”

The brunette let out a heavy sigh.

His interest was piqued and he felt something drawing him into the book as if he  _ needed _ to read it,  _ needed _ to find out what these diagrams meant… Almost a compulsion of sorts.

“It’s not only in another language, but also  _ coded, _ ” Stephen sighed heavily beside him, sinking into one of the chairs at the table and gesturing for Tony to sit as well if he wanted. “Though,  _ mister pizza fingers _ , if you get grease on those pages I’ll be rather cross with you.”

Closing the book he’d summoned down, Stephen set it aside atop a bunch of the papers there, shaking his head some. “The ‘other elements’ you’re mentioning - they’re magic. This book is proposing some sort of… science-magic hybrid, which is typically considered mostly poppycock. That said, anything I’ve seen like that has been fundamentally flawed from a magical perspective, where the magic I’ve seen here thus far has been… reasonably sound based on the diagrams at least. But I can’t even begin to determine what language this is in given it’s in code. Even if I thought I could pick out a word or two, I can’t verify that it’s not  _ actually _ another dialect or language entirely from my assumptions. I’ve been running around in circles with this thing.”

Tony didn’t have grease on his fingers, but he shoved the rest of the slice in his mouth and wiped them on his clothing regardless.

“You know, imagine if this was some sick alien prank designed to personally attack people like you.” The engineer chortled softly, muffled by a mouthful. “Fri, do you think you could cross reference the texts in this book with all known possible dialects and do a translation for me sweet thing?”

“I can boss, but it’s going to take a while to decode and translate this entire book. I can get started.”

“Thanks hun.”

A blue grid unfolded from the phone and began to scan the book, up and down, and up and down. Tony stepped back and away from the book to go retrieve another slice in the meantime. He turned back to Stephen again.

“To be honest I don’t know how long it will take her - she’s going to be cross-referencing all known dialects from every current existing  _ and _ forgotten language possible, even the  _ made-up culty bullshit _ \- but it’s a start.”

“This would be a very elaborate and very  _ annoying _ prank if that was, in fact, the case,” The sorcerer responded with a soft grumble, but the cloak curled around him and nudged at his face excitedly regardless of Stephen’s grumbling.

“I’m sure Friday will be rather invaluable in the process, but in the meantime... what  _ was _ that diagram you were talking about then? I recognize some of the magical things as I said, but only to a point. A lot of them lack context between the lack of  _ words _ and the spells and rituals being in conjunction with quantum energy?”

“Right.” Tony concurred.

He opened up another window in the interface to bring up an interactive holo model of  _ his prototype. _

“Almost identical to the design in the book, this earlier more crude design for the arc reactor was massive and I’ve long since improved upon it. It was something Howard designed and worked on to kind of keep the  _ tree-huggers at bay _ about clean energy…” He trailed off.

“So all the parts are here, and they match up - the only difference is rather than the energy being entirely cyclical its… drawing off of a power source in it’s own? But I don’t know the context and that’s where the translation will help me out….” Tony scratched at his chin.

“I just… don’t understand - do we have a carbon dating on this book? You said you found it in a tomb…” Tony’s question was regarded at Stephen but his A.I chimed in instead.

“The book is well preserved, I can estimate it dates back as far as the 5th century or earlier. If we’re lucky, there will be dates within the book.” Tony nodded as he thought on the A.I’s words.

_ None of this made any sense at all. _

“As I said, this is from a tomb in a pocket dimension. While it could feasibly have been from our Earth, it could also have been from any number of other Earths, hidden away in it’s own little space to keep it safe. I have a suspicion that this book holds the key to opening a rather… locked door in the tomb in question.” Stephen frowned slightly.

“With all of that said, the energy source you’re having some issues with I  _ can _ place to a point.” Turning to the book he’d summoned from the library - one with a triskelion that seemed to match the spine of the book they were attempting to translate - he flipped a few pages in to gesture. 

“I’d been attempting to use this book as some sort of translation guide as it shares  _ some _ similar imagery and runes to that book. This is linked to some of the history of druidic magic, but… most of that has been lost, and this one is  _ far _ from complete. Not unlike several  _ other _ events in Earth’s history, it’s believed that the druids and the majority of their magical artifacts were quite thoroughly eradicated by humankind - and that’s supposing that druids were somehow not human, which still seems to be a subject of debate between certain scholars.”

“Set it down next to the other, Friday will scan it too. If it’s got any relation to this one then it will make it a lot easier to decode.” Tony found it rather odd though how he hadn’t once criticized the nature of the book and where it had been found but that didn’t stop him from at least joking lightly about it.

“This all seems so fantastical, almost like the makings of a real legend or myth, don’t you think?” He cracked softly, taking a mouthful of pizza. 

But everything was so well researched and too uncanny to be completely fake.  _ Unless this was some elaborate plan Stephen had concocted to get Tony over to his house with a valid excuse? _

That was a farfetched theory and Tony knew he didn’t believe it in the slightest.

“This book I can translate easily enough, it was written post-druidic era. I hadn’t found much similarity myself but… I’m also not a hyper-capable A.I.” Stephen admitted after a moment, though he hesitated briefly before setting the book down beside the other one. “I feel bad leaving her to do all of the work on this, but at the same time… I’ve been at this for weeks already with only the smallest of progress.”

Leaning back in his seat for a moment, Stephen began organizing and tidying up some of the papers scattered over the table. “A lot of those so-called myths and legends  _ do _ have basis in legitimate historical  _ and _ magical events you know. That assessment might not be too far off…”

The sorcerer paused to look at Tony like he’d forgotten something. “Can I get you anything to drink, by the way? It’s a little late for caffeine, I’m sure, but we have some juice, water, milk… could probably make some hot chocolate if you’d like…?”

“Don’t you go offering me milk unless you plan on  _ offering me cookies _ , Stephen.” Tony held up a finger, he finally decided to take a seat in the chair next to Stephen.

“Coffee is fine, this will just be a late night for me - if I need to, I’ll pass out on your couch.” Tony started poking through the progress on the book. “It looks like the first chapter, or however this thing is formatted is going to take the longest - but once the base translation is done Friday will let us know and we can get started. If it was wholly impossible she would have said something but I know she can handle this…” He trailed off softly. “Friday’s got stamina, she can take  _ just about anything I throw at her. _ ” He winked.

“Boss is that exactly workplace appropriate?” The response was almost flirtatious.

“Am _ I ever  _ workplace appropriate dear?”

Stephen gave the man a long, contemplating look before summoning up a glass of milk and a small plate of oreos from the kitchen, returning to his cleaning of the table.

“Have your milk and cookies, Tony. You’re on a relatively strict sleep schedule, remember?  _ And _ there’s a pair of spare beds upstairs that I’m sure the cloak would be  _ happy to bring you to. _ ” He added, not at all hiding the smug smirk on his face as he tidied the space up further, before getting to his feet to start cleaning up the areas of the table - and room, apparently - that he couldn’t reach from his seat.

Unlike the times he spent at Tony’s workshop in the past, it seemed Stephen wasn’t as comfortable simply idling around his home when there was a mess - presumably this was only the case when there was company, or there was no way the place would’ve gotten to this state to  _ begin _ with, but hey. Some people enjoyed their creative clutter.

The engineer had an expression of almost childlike glee when Stephen had offered him up the milk and cookies.

“Hey, I’m in control of my own bed-time! I can afford to stay up a little later for something like this.” Tony shot back as he started going through and comparing notes. He’d mark down on his tablet the theories and diagrams he could recognize. A lot of which was incredibly and unbelievably advanced for the age it had been written down in.

Given everything that had happened, he was starting to come to terms with the idea that there may honestly be something going on with parallel universes and quantum theories. 

It was all relative.

_ But first he was determined to prove it all wrong - until he could prove it right. _

“Is it necessary for you to stay up late for this? If we’re mostly waiting on Friday’s translation and decoding, and she  _ did _ say it would take a while, then this could be a  _ very _ late night indeed.” The magus pointed out, continuing to mill about the room clearing away or outright disposing of some papers. 

He got the fireplace running soon enough and before long the room was rather cozy altogether with the quiet crackling of wood and the lightest suggestion of a pine scent that would likely grow stronger over the course of the night.

“She did, but I want to be here if she manages to crack it sooner than later. Knowing her, she won’t be more than a few hours.” Tony winked, leaning over on his arm as he flicked his gaze from the book to Stephen and then back again.

_ He seemed oddly resistant to separate from it. _

Giving a small shrug at that, Stephen took up a seat at the table beside Tony to sort through the remaining papers there, leaving a few out that he’d more clearly copied images from the book onto - rather messily, though that was to be expected from someone with hands that trembled the way Stephen’s did.

“These are some of the things that match between the two books image-wise. I also spent some time trying to sort out what the runes on the more… technological… images were.” He slid a not terribly small page over towards Tony. “If you can read my writing, anyway. Apologies.”

“So… From what I’m gathering and I don't entirely believe it myself, everything is pointing in the direction of this book containing a language based around science and magic - as fantastical as that sounds.” Tony leafed through the pages once again to show the similar looking runic attributes form the first book and the second. “I’m also seeing elements of alchemy introduced here as well…

“See this here - I don’t need words to know that this is drawing off of some sort of magic to power itself.” Tony gestured at the parts of the mechanical diagrams he  _ did understand _ pointing to certain elements.

“This part is the conductor, energy is generated and recycled. The arc reactor isn’t permanently exhaustless but does have a  _ nearly _ endless supply of energy especially when it was in it’s crude stages of development... But this design in the book shows that it’s drawing off of an incantation, a magic symbol which your other book describes as something to do with druidic magic.” Tony tapped at the other book. He had to keep squinting back and forth from some text Friday had helped him translate in the second book.

“This is… really far fetched, but interesting - I’m trying to wrap my head around it.”

“ _ Some _ of the alchemy I can attest to the accuracy of,” Stephen piped up after a moment, sighing a little. “The rest I can assure you sounds as farfetched to  _ me _ as it does to  _ you _ . As I said, it’s not typically considered  _ a thing _ that can happen to fuse magic and technology the way the book seems to be indicating. Of course, most knowledge of druidic magic is  _ speculative _ at best, as the majority of it has been lost as I mentioned earlier.”

“Just because it’s lost, doesn’t mean it never existed. Question everything, nothing is certain. Never believe that everything is true, and at the same time never believe everything is false either…” Tony flashed a challenging look, he was going to get to the bottom of this.

“Friday, status?” 

“I’m about 30% through, boss”

“Hmm, a lot faster than I actually expected! Keep it up honey.”

“I didn’t suggest it never existed. And I quite specifically said that it’s not  _ typically _ considered a thing for a reason. Magic has been used historically to  _ enchant _ objects, but for the most part the more complex the technology surrounding that object is the more difficult it is to enchant.”

Leaning back into his chair, he gestured at some of the papers rather pointedly. “The runic combinations here are valid to the best of my understanding of them, but the glyphs being used in other areas are just… nonsensical as far as I can tell. All I can assume is that translating the book will clarify what any of this means. I recognize some of the alchemical symbols - gold is the easiest to identify, closely followed by mercury. Iron, platinum, silver and arsenic are also familiar…”

Stephen’s fingers moved to point out the distinct symbols as he went along. “Antimony and copper took me a little bit to sort out, and as it turns out that had something to do with it being merged with a druidic symbol that represented something best translated to… human culture.”

Tony shuffled his chair to turn and look at Stephen, he felt warm at the moment for some odd reason. He idly pulled apart the oreos on the plate and started separating their centers from the black wafer, setting the middles off to the side before turning and dipping the cookie segment into the milk.

He nibbled on the biscuit and couldn’t help but zone out and think for a moment about everything. There were a lot of heavy implications to all of this. But he couldn’t help but beg the question...

“Do you personally believe in druid magic, Stephen?” He leaned back in his chair and put his (crummy) hands behind his head as he watched the sorcerer. It was pretty sudden but he felt so at peace in this moment, not spurred on by anything but the enjoyment of collaborating with the sorcerer on a joint project.

“I believe in most things to a point.” The sorcerer responded, looking thoughtful. “Once upon a time I didn’t believe in  _ anything _ and then I learned what an idiot I was for that. With that said, I don’t believe that there are any living practitioners of druidic magic. If there were I imagine we’d be either seeing more push back from them about the balance of nature to technology, or at least have found more legitimate documentation surrounding their existence. Maybe we’d even know whether druids were actually human or not and thus know whether their magic could be tapped in to by humans or if it was distinctly tied to whatever druids actually  _ were _ ...”

It was very clear Stephen was thinking fairly deeply on that matter even as the cloak cuddled around the sorcerer some in his pondering. “Not that it necessarily matters at this point I suppose but… if this book really does have some history relating to druidic magic, I’m very determined to sort it out. It could be a monumental find if it is and give us a lot of insight into magical history.”

“I think this benefits the both of us if it turns out to be more than just a myth… I mean, doesn’t it seem a little convenient that we know each other and we are both prime practitioners in our field? Figuratively, if this turns out to be more than just nonsense, we could really be on to something. And who’s better equipped to deal with it than us? Prime examples, the literal peak of our fields...” Tony trailed off.

“You know, not to be  _ cocky or anything... _ ” He trailed off with a soft laugh. He’d put his feet up on the table and was pushing back idly on the back legs of his chair so the front legs would lift slightly in a rock.

“If this is all surrounding quantum energy I would  _ think _ that maybe I should be contacting Doctor Pym,” Stephen stated, though there was a teasing little smile on his face. 

“But yes, if it turns out to be anything legitimate this could be a massive boon to the magical community and perhaps to your research as well. Not that I would generally advise anything like mass producing goods derived from magical elements. Considering how much of supposedly ‘valid’ alchemical studies have already been derived from for the sake of some modern chemistry, pharmacology and medicine - prior to alchemy being entirely written off due to the influence of charlatans and the persecution of true alchemists - it’s also possible that there isn’t much new for you to learn from these things…”

The magus gave a small shrug and a sigh. “And this is all supposing this isn’t simply some nonsense strung together by one of those educated charlatans. Did you want more milk and cookies, by the way?”

Tony flashed Stephen an almost testing leer before he rolled his eyes and leaned forward to snare another oreo, gnawing on it with a muffled grumble.

“Sure, I’m going to be out of shape and stuffed with cookies because you, Stephen Strange, are an enabler.” He half-heartedly groaned while quite the contrary - enjoying the biscuit.

“Hey, I’m just offering milk and cookies. You’re the one who keeps trying to get the sorcerer drunk,” Stephen chuckled softly. “And there are worse things to be full of than milk and cookies.”

In a brief moment the glass of milk was full again - though small chunks of oreo still floated around in the cup like some soggy treat to be eaten later. A few more cookies piled onto the plate and Stephen helped himself to one - eating it as it was like some  _ heathen _ just taking a big old bite out of it.

“Wait! I know what this is, you know that milk and cookies naturally produce amino acid tryptophan and melatonin,  _ you’re trying to put me to sleep with food… hoping I get the itis and pass out. _ ” Tony narrowed his eyes, regardless - taking a bite out of the wafer.

“Challenge accepted. You won’t keep me down with cookies!” Tony announced, surprisingly unbothered by Stephen poaching his snacks.

A small grin fought its way across Stephen’s face at Tony’s words, but the magician only shook his head in amusement. “Is that what I’m doing? And here I thought I was just  _ being a good host _ ...”

Giving a little yawn, Stephen summoned up a small glass of wine from the kitchen, before leaning forward to continue making some notes on the papers he had left sprawled out in front of him, apparently finding them relevant enough to not bother putting them away with the others.

“That is exactly what you’re doing, I don’t need to be parented, Strange!” Though the kind of fit that Tony was currently throwing would say otherwise - and in some way he  _ did _ enjoy the coddling that Stephen was currently doting him with.

Well,  _ any  _ sort of attention from the wizard at this rate, considering how starved of it he’d been.

He settled down, none of this really taken to heart as he munched away at his treat before turning back to check the progress on Friday’s decoding.”

“Looks to be about 60% done, still a ways to go, but I’m glad we’re at least making progress.”

“I was with you for the most part, but I can’t say I agree that you don’t need to be parented,” Stephen laughed a bit to himself, sipping a little at his wine and looking up thoughtfully. 

“Is she fully translating all of this, or is this just the initial pass of the books? I’m not wholly sure what it’s 60%  _ of _ and what I should anticipate following this whole analysis.” He seemed slightly anxious about it, though it was challenging to say whether it was an excited anxious or a worried anxious.

“Translating the actual dialect is the hardest part in all of this. Matching words to symbols, decoding and relating them to the English language is the challenging part. Once she has an understanding of the alphabet she then builds the grammar and language based on our understanding. Translating a single chapter is kind of pointless since once she’s archived the language and completely formatted it - everything from there on can be understood.”

“I’m guessing given the limited amount of knowledge to no-knowledge at all, all she has to work with is algorithms and patterns - which is the same as decrypting an encrypted password. There’s a lot of guesswork and probability involved.” Tony laughed softly though for curiosity's sake poked at the counter to see that it was nearly at 80% done.

“ _ Actually _ boss,” Friday piped up, “The indicator is at 82% for translating and decoding the  _ first _ chapter. While originally the intention was to translate all of it, there are dialect and coding fluctuations between chapters that would make it needlessly difficult to translate the entire book at once. At the moment something appears to be missing from my ability to translate the second chapter.”

Stephen gave the engineer and the apparatus Friday’s voice was emitting from a perplexed look, clearly not wholly following at first before shrugging. “I’m reasonably good at translating from one language to another if I know it, but I neither know this language nor how to deal with the coding so you’re making considerably more progress in  _ one day _ than I have in  _ weeks. _ I’m impressed regardless.”

Tony tilted his head with a confused look but he wasn’t about to question his very capable A.I.

“Well at least we will have something!” Tony let out a very loud and unconstrained yawn as he slumped down in his chair. He reached for the glass of milk and started to sip at the rim  _ like a tired infant _ .

_ Oh yeah,  _ the sugar crash was starting to get to him.

Time slowly ticked on and even Stephen seemed to start to droop a little. All it took was a couple of glasses of wine and the sorcerer slowly began to slump a bit in his spot. His head bobbed once or twice as the man fought to keep himself awake, but eventually the cloak nudged him enough that whether he recognized it or not the sorcerer wound up resting his head against Tony’s shoulder once again. 

His breathing was soft and steady, occasionally sounding as though he might be snoring the quietest little snore and if it wasn’t for the cloak the magus would most certainly have fallen out of his chair - but really that was just a testament to how much the man relied on his cloak.

Tony was deeply invested in the book when he felt the weight on his shoulder rather unexpectedly. He looked over to see what it was and couldn’t contain the soft smile that pulled at his lips. Stephen, passed out on his backside was both a sight to behold and a real treat.

“Looks like I was able to stay up later…” Tony carefully positioned an arm around Stephen’s midsection as he felt him slide a bit, tucking it between the cloak and his back.

“Hey Levi, mind doing me a favour? Can you go grab me a blanket?” The brunette kept his voice low as to not disturb the sorcerer.

The cloak hesitated briefly as it pulled away, checking that its sorcerer wasn’t falling over or anything else that would be equally undesirable, before slipping away to the couch and returning with both a big blanket (which dragged behind the cloak in a rather entertaining display) and a small pillow. It offered both to Tony - well, it offered a  _ corner _ of the blanket to Tony. The rest was still spanning a good part of the steadily darkening room.

“Thanks bud.” He smiled softly and took both of the items, lowering Stephen’s head softly onto the pillow on the desk, making sure he wouldn’t fall over before pulling up the blanket over his shoulders. He tucked the side, carefully making sure Stephen was well balanced before giving the sleeping sorcerer a soft stroke along his spine.

Stephen didn’t seem to budge, so Tony took the moment to gently run his hand a few more times up along his backside, soothing him carefully, trying not to wake him.

“You think we should eventually try moving him to a bed? Or just leave him here for now…” Tony tiredly asked, with bloodshot eyes.

The cloak seemed to hesitate for a moment before shuffling off to gather another pillow, copying Tony some by setting the pillow on the table in front of Tony and moving to turn off the pair of lamps on the desk, leaving the room far too dark to read, before draping itself over his shoulders not unlike Tony had with Stephen.

The engineer’s fingers slowly dragged in linear patterns over Stephen’s backside as his other arm adjusted under the pillow the cloak had so generously brought him. He leaned onto it, his tired eyes watching the magus as he slept, carefully massaging his back before a tired gaze slowly looked over the percentage of completion for the translation.

_ ‘90%’ _

He let out another soft sigh and let his arm sag - sleep starting to finally take hold of him as he shuffled under the cloak a bit more.

"I can only wonder what you think of all this..." Tony tiredly mumbled to the cloak.

Stephen sighed softly in his sleep, his face rubbing into the pillow some before he settled again, but the cloak rather predictably gave no answer. Squeezing him gently, it remained draped in its place, making sure the man was fully covered before reaching for a corner of the large blanket and tugging it around Tony as well, making sure both of  _ its humans _ were appropriately bundled together.

Tony withdrew his hand and slipped it under the pillow so he was hugging it, too tired to protest the  _ personally controversial _ gesture of sharing a blanket. He let the cloak do as it wanted and if Stephen asked?  _ He could just blame it on Levi _ \- since it really  _ was _ the cloak’s doing.

He turned his head to the side and shut his eyes, head facing in Stephen’s direction with both the cloak and a shared blanket draped over his back. His mind was a bit of a haze and he ended up joining the sleepy sorcerer in rest as Friday ticked down the final numbers to completing the first ‘chapter’ of the book.

_ ‘100%’ _

 

* * *

 

At first it was dark. Or it seemed dark.

Not an outside-at-night kind of dark - there were neither lamp lights nor the glow of the moon or stars - but a deep darkness. A blackness that a little at a time seemed to lighten into something hazy and indistinct, though he could have sworn for a moment that he was gazing at two odd objects (moons, maybe?) reflecting light in an odd, starless void.

“ _ Good, _ ” a voice stated rather tersely, “You’re awake.” The words seemed to illuminate their surroundings but did nothing to clarify what was going on.

The room they were in was unfamiliar, unlike anything he’d seen. 

There was wood everywhere, but they weren’t the planks that were more commonly used to make houses. The room seemed as though it had been made of an impossibly large round of wood that had been carved into its state and it might have gone upward forever - he didn’t know, he couldn’t tilt his head that far back.

As he tried, he found himself immobile. He could move his fingers, wiggle his toes, even move his head to a degree… but something tight was holding him in place. Something less forgiving than rope. Allowing his gaze to travel down he realized why: his bindings were thick branches. His arms were wrapped around his stomach, his legs straight ahead of him but wrapped as well with the dirt floor looking disrupted where the wood that bound him stuck out.

He looked up again, but before he could ask a question or really get a good idea of whom he was speaking with, the man spoke again.

“What were you looking for?” Was he supposed to have an answer to that? He was looking for an answer to  _ why he was tied _ . He was looking to find out who his captor was. 

He was looking for…

“There are birds in your antlers, mister.” Fell out of his mouth before he could really think of an answer to the proposed inquiry. And sure enough, the man had antlers - a small enough rack of three prongs - that were a perch for what might have been a small army of tiny, surprisingly silent and disapproving looking birds.

The man gave him a rather perplexed look that felt strangely familiar, before he gave his head a slow shake - presumably so as not to disturb the birds whose heads turned to make sure they were constantly watching the bound man. Grey eyes that seemed to shift in colour now and then focused on him, pinning him in place with their intensity.

“What are you doing here? What were you looking for?” The impossible man reiterated, and for a moment Antonio simply leaned back in place, as relaxed as he could get under the limitation of his wooden restrictions.

“I don’t know. I assume  _ you’re _ the one who bound me here?”

The man looked irritated, his rather fluffy looking fawn-like ear flicking some to express that annoyance as his face changed only subtly. His gaze moved to a table that sat to one side with a leather pouch that Antonio recognized as his own.

“Ohh yeah,  _ that! _ See I was trying to figure out a way to ward off general threats - you know, magical, non-magical, keep the fairies out of my garden kind of thing,” He began, feeling a small smile tugging at his face. 

No one asked about his projects usually, which was probably for the best all things considered, but if he was being given the opportunity, he was hardly going to turn down the chance to explain.

Before he could continue however, the man that had been crouched in front of him stood and loomed over him, his intimidation factor increasing about five-fold but still undermined by those  _ entirely too soft looking ears _ and the one little bird that saw fit to utter a soft peeping noise and flutter its wings as though afraid it would lose its balance.

“You shouldn’t be here. You need to leave.”

“You see I’d love to,  _ buuuut… _ ” He looked down at himself and the thick branches binding him, then slowly back up as he took in the man’s unusual attire.

He was dressed more unusually than anyone Antonio had ever seen, with dark linked wooden armour of some sort covering most of his feet, leaving skin bare here and there and climbing up his thighs to meet a loose, naturally toned pair of pants. He wore some kind of padding over his hips, some detailing in it that Antonio couldn’t wholly make sense of, and what might have been a branch that he wore like someone might wear a loincloth. Across his hips were a string of satchels and bags, and a rather unusual belt set with some kind of blue stone that reflected whatever the light in the room was (he still hadn’t figured that part out), but above that the man had left his abdomen mostly bare, with his chest hidden in the slightest way by greenery and a large red cowl.

Finally resettling his gaze on that quite  _ handsome _ , uniquely sculpted face he offered a small smirk that the man seemed unfazed by.

“I’m not very well going to let you wander. Tell me what you’re looking for. I’ll fetch it and deposit you  _ elsewhere. _ ”

Antonio rolled his eyes a bit, he didn’t respond directly to the question he was asked but instead a light peaking through the branches on his chest seemed to glow and get brighter - a soft cyan glow just under the branches with a noise that resembled the soft hum of a machine starting up.

“I’d stand over a little to the right if I were you.” He grinned and this only caused the other to furrow his brows in confusion and irritation at being ignored. All of a sudden that cyan light expelled a pulse of energy so hot and blinding, it incinerated the branches that had previously kept their captive firmly in place. 

The man with the antlers startled and so did the birds on said antlers as he quickly side-stepped with unnatural speed, leaving the flock of birds to also scatter. It was an absolute cacophony of calls with the small beasts beeping and honking indignantly with their tiny-finch voices before once again settling back on their perches. Most of their numbers dove into the leaf-like armor and folds of the man’s attire, others back on their mini-thrones where they’d previously sat.

Little finch heads peeked out from beneath the folds of the red cowl which almost seemed to ruffle and shift of its own accord without so much as a breeze. The more intrepid of his tiny bird friends resettled and peeped loudly down from the spanding antlers. The look on the other man’s face was of anger, pure insult as he watched Antonio,  _ who had just blasted a hole in the side of his tree _ , slide out of the snare and dust himself off. 

There was a hole in the front of his armor, the light of something so unnatural flashing through Antonio’s now torn and ruptured plate. But he didn’t seem to be phased at all by this and simply held out his hand enthusiastically to greet the other,  _ properly. _

“I’m Antonio by the way.” He held out his hand with a wide grin. He received the most indignant look from the man with the antlers who did nothing to meet the gesture half way. 

The man with the fawn ears went off, and the indignant peeping from the birds in his antlers only chirruped louder! "This is why I hate villagers, no respect for living things! I would've let you go if you just told me what you were looking for!” He looked between Antonio and the gaping hole in the tree furiously. 

“What is  **wrong** with you?!"

Antonio tilted his head, but regardless - reached out and grabbed the other man’s hand and shook it. The man seemed to flinch defensively when he did.

“Nice to meet you too? Errr…?” Antonio waited for the other to respond with his name with an inquisitive look.

“Good bye.” He yanked his hand away and with a motion of his hands, deposited him in an oddly familiar forested area covered in snow that was  _ nowhere _ near where he’d been before. 

Probably. 

It was hard to say given he wasn’t sure where he was before.

He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened - if anything at all. 

Had he dreamed that…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	10. The Alchemist

The snow continued to fall heavily through the afternoon and evening, and despite the alchemist’s clear desire to wander back into the forest further, to his credit he chose more wisely and slowly made his way back towards town before the darkness of evening overtook the scenery around him.

Night fell as the man reached the small village on the outskirts of the glade and torches were sufficient enough to guide him safely back to his people. 

The druid could only find himself torn between relief and anxiety with that in mind.

He watched through the eyes of his friends as they flitted here and there from perch to perch, watching after the man who’d called himself ‘Antonio’ as he brushed snow off of his shoulders and made his way into one of the stone buildings the humans seemed so keen on. 

The birds acting as his primary eyes flitted down to pick at some of the seeds in the snowy garden outside the window, watching as the man divested himself of his snow-covered outerwear and knelt by the fireplace, working on getting it going to start to warm up.

The druid didn’t dare leave the forest, instead remaining perched on a tall tree that overlooked the town a fair distance away. He was _ too large  _ not to draw suspicion from the townsfolk, but he wanted to be certain the forest wasn’t immediately under threat. 

_ Someone _ knew about his existence now, when for so long they’d been under the contented impression that they’d killed off all of his kind. He was the only guardian of the forests left - at least as far as he knew - and he couldn’t wholly find a way to explain why he had even shown himself to the man.

There was simply something…  _ familiar _ about him. Something that felt as much like the forest he called home as the tree he lived in. So he simply watched. Waited. Made certain that there wasn’t a danger…

_ He hoped… _

 

* * *

  
The next day he spent his time working in a smithy, crafting and designing a very exotic looking armour for his right arm. He pulled back the sleeve on his right arm and what appeared to be a metal arm retracted to his upper bicep, revealing long blue lines and patterns of blue-glowing veins.

He flexed his fingers, their tips glowing softly as he leaned over the window and gazed at the birds pecking at seeds he’d earlier thrown down. 

They kind of reminded him of the druid he’d just met, resembling those that perched upon his horns.

Said druid had honestly been on his mind all last night and deep into his projects; he couldn’t stop thinking about him.

_ A druid _ … was that really what he’d seen? The man definitely wasn’t normal by any standards and Antonio always did have a fantastical mind. 

He’d only ever met  _ one _ druid in his entire life and at this point they were considered completely extinct since their colony recently settled in the past century.

Since then he always considered himself to have both an affinity with animals and magic - but humans couldn’t wield magic and at best he could use alchemy, the most mystical form of science there was. He did consider himself an alchemist, an inventor and a strong contributor to his scientific community (with what little there was). But most of it had to be kept under wraps with the uprising of witch burning and vampire threats -  _ which was honestly all just hocus pocus nonsense in his opinion _ .

The alchemist dug a hand into a very large bag of birdseed and scattered some more along the ground, before also piling some on the window sill in hopes he’d coax the small peepers over to join him.

The little birds seemed to take their time. There might have been a dozen of them flitting around, though he’d only see half that at any given time. 

At first it was hard to tell them apart with how quickly they all darted about, but it became relatively clear soon enough that there was no mistaking one bird for another.

They came in many varied colours and markings, with bright colours standing out against the contrast of white snow and grey stone - for the most part. One of the tiny creatures managed to sneak up on him, not being nearly as brightly coloured as its brothers and popping up onto the window sill.

Bird and man froze for a moment, the bird watching him warily before its little head twitched slightly and it hopped over the snow to pick at the seed presented to it, with one tiny black eye fixed on him at all times. 

After a moment a blue one joined the first on the sill, bravely flapping its wings at Antonio as though somehow it would shoo the  _ big bad _ man away, though it seemed content enough by his lack of movement to tuck its wings away and help itself to the bird seed as well.

The  _ awful _ human took the cue and backed up some from the sill to give the tiny creatures their space, one by one more of them coming to join the other on the sill until there was a myriad of birds peeping and pecking at the piles of seeds on the stone sill.

Eventually they’d run out and there was quite the commotion as the birds demanded more. Antonio just as quickly dug his hand into the bag to refill their portions, slowly making his way as to not startle them - regardless though, they fled to the nearest branch as he set more feed out.

“Hey, it’s okay - just getting you guys some more seed.” He spoke softly as if the animals  _ could even comprehend his speech. _

Again he backed off, allowing the small birds their peace while eating, pulling the bag of seed into his lap and digging his hand into it. 

He got an idea and reached in for another half-handful, pulling up a chair as the tiny animals watched warily and holding his arm out to see if any dared to fly over and eat directly from his hand.

It took a good few minutes before any showed signs of interest, though as the seed on the sill seemed to scatter either to the floor inside or outside, the birds scattered to chase them, a pair of grey, yellow and blue finches settled onto the floor of his smithy, pecking at the seeds there with pleased chirps, content to ignore the human. It was another minute later when a grey and red finch approached him near enough to give him a look that expressed a degree of curiosity.

The bird chirped at him inquisitively as it flapped in front of him, eyeing the birdseed and then the man before perching on his finger. It didn’t immediately go for the seed, its feathers ruffled to make itself look bigger as though to warn the man that it wasn’t to be trifled with. It’s tiny feet carefully picked their way over his hand to the seed, eyes still flitting between the large human face and the apparently appealing bird seed, before it finally picked at one and hopped back a little as though doing so might set off some kind of trap.

They were oddly aware creatures, though the one in his hand seemed distinctly so in that moment, eating the seed and pausing for a long while to watch him. It didn’t seem as cautious this time, simply curious as it gave a small pair of cheeps at the man.

Antonio watched on with amusement, playing with the small creatures and leaning back - acting as if he’d been scared off by the tiny bird’s might! Though it wasn’t long until one had turn into two, curiously exploring his palm for more birdseed and then eventually he had about five of the bravest souls hopping around on his palm and pecking at the offering in his hand.

_ They had deemed it safe… enough. _

A soft laugh bellowed out from both the sight and tiny beaks assaulting his palm - the brave ones ate their share but as soon as they were done, they fled. Taking off one-by-one in formation without a second glance and heading back to wherever they had come from.

Antonio dusted his hands, they had been eaten clean except for a few seed shells. He closed the bag of feed and set it back in its spot near the window and went back from his momentary break to finish off the piece of armor he’d been crafting.

In the distance there was another bird’s song - not that of the recently departed finches, but a song that seemed to almost echo through the valley as he returned to work before slowly fading away into the morning air.

 

* * *

 

Stephen woke feeling groggy to say the least. His hands ached - no surprise as he’d apparently tucked them between his pillow and the wooden table while he slept - and his back wasn’t exactly feeling much better after having been hunched forward on the table, but he couldn’t find himself too terribly upset given what he woke to.

The morning light was just barely filtering into the room and played through the silver and chestnut locks of the man who slumped over on the table beside him. Head tucked onto a pillow over his own arms in a way that left the sorcerer to imagine Tony likely did such a thing in the workshop at times. He seemed serene and comfortable - though not as much so as he tended to look when he’d curled up on his side to sleep.

Regardless, the man couldn’t help but smile to himself, gently removing himself from beneath their shared blanket and pulling the blanket up over Tony’s shoulders. Getting to his feet he yawned and waved for the cloak to stay where it was as he made his way into the kitchen to make some tea - and coffee for their guest.

The tea wasn’t too complicated with the aching in his hands, and luckily enough the coffee machine didn’t require much more from him than to fill it with water and grounds and press a button. He dug around through the cupboards for a moment to try and find some sort of relief for his hands as he felt his right hand seize up, and even as he winced and his hands shook he managed to beat the childlock mechanism on the acetaminophen bottle. It wasn’t going to numb the pain entirely - or even  _ mostly _ \- but it would be enough to take some of the edge off at least, and given both hands were in a considerable amount of pain it wasn’t as though he could massage away the seizing of muscles in his right hand with his left.

By the time he was done with that he was able to more easily gather a couple of cups and the milk and sugar containers to bring through into the main room, setting them quietly on the table before going back into the kitchen for the pot of coffee, and the pot of tea. He began to pour the coffee with his left hand, using the right to gently try and nudge his companion towards wakefulness.

“Morning Tony. Coffee’s ready…” He greeted softly, not wanting to startle the man awake.

There was a grogginess to the man that had recently been so submerged in his sleep. But apparently not so much that he missed the gentle hand on his back as it softly rustled him awake! His core shook lightly and he slowly came to with the gesture, blinking a few times blearily.

“Mmhmm just five more minutes...” Tony lightly swatted at the hand that dared shake him to wakefulness. He didn’t seem to have any concept of his environment or any consideration to why he was sleeping in the position he was.

“Boss it's best you wake up, the first chapter of the book has been decrypted.” Friday’s voice chimed in softly as the smell of a freshly brewed pot hit his nostrils. He let out a loud groan and slowly rose, blinking consecutively to get his bearings before groaning loudly. 

“God… My back...” He hissed softly, a hand going to his lumbar as he tried to collect himself, looking around and realizing that he wasn’t in fact, at the compound.

He squinted, looked at the cup, then looked at  _ Stephen _ .

“Thanks for the coffee Steph.” He sleepily nodded finally sitting upright. 

_ Everything was stiff. _

“Mmm, yeah I think we’re both a little too old to be sleeping at tables like that,” Stephen chuckled softly, shaking his head and sighing. “Do you want something for your back before we get into doing anything else? Get your wits about you before we find out what mysteries chapter one holds?”

The cloak bundled around Tony still even as the sorcerer gathered up the large blanket and began to fold it to set on the couch again, before returning to retrieve their pillows and set them to the side as well. Turning on the pair of lamps on the desk to provide a bit more light to read by in the room, Stephen offered a smile. “Cream and sugar are on the table as well if you want any. Help yourself.”

Tony shrugged his shoulders, huddling under the cloak for warmth as Stephen offered him more aspects on his coffee. In which he happily obliged a groan and pulled the sides of the cloak closer to himself.

“It’s too early… give me at least five more minutes.” He groaned softly trying to pull the cloak over his head.

“Out of curiosity, what time do you think it  _ is _ ?” Stephen watched Tony with amusement, as he reiterated his desire for more sleep. “And what time is too early for caffeine and adventures? If you didn’t want to be woken up at 9AM you probably should have gone home last night - or to a bed like I suggested. But no, you were adamant that you didn’t need to sleep at a normal hour. I’m surprised you slept at all.”

Tony let out a loud groan, not bothering to look at his watch. “I dunno, maybe like 6AM? Ugh, this question is hard, stop…” Tony shook his head and propped himself up on his elbows.

“I would have gone home if you were ragging me about it but I recall a  _ certain someone _ passing out before me. I really didn’t have an option so I distinctly remember  _ tucking _ your tired ass in!” Tony snorted softly.

“Well that was very sweet of you then, but it sure looked like you still had working legs and the capability of getting up and moving on your own. It’s not like I tied you down and forced you to stay. Drink your coffee  _ dear. _ ” Stephen rolled his eyes some as he took up his chair, adding some sugar to his tea before cradling the cup. “It’s nearly 9 in the morning. A reasonable hour for  _ anyone _ to be awake.”

“You could have anyhow and I would have honestly had absolutely no objections to it...” Tony trailed off running a hand through his hair. 

“Do I at least get a morning  _ kiss _ ?” He softly rasped through waking up, stretching his arms to rattle the morning sleepies out of his bones.

“Don’t push your luck, Stark.”

Apparently the other man was back to it, and Stephen could barely keep the soft huff to himself. He supposed  _ he really had walked in to that one. _ Whether he’d earned the kiss quip or not?

… well he’d let Tony stay the night. So he supposed he had. 

He sighed at the realization.

“My hands aren’t in much of a state to be making breakfast, so if you’d like I can probably call someone to bring food by if you’re feeling peckish. Just let me know. In the meantime, as Friday pointed out, we have at least a chapter of this thing translated and I’m rather eager to find out what’s in the book.”

Tony looked at Stephen for a hot moment, appearing a little dejected at first before suddenly looking up with an expression that made it clear some  _ idea _ was forming in his head.

“You know, I could always massage your hands. I’m not implying that you should make breakfast. I could just as easily order that for us but I can still help ease the muscles out.” He made a grabbing gesture with his hands as if to emphasize the point.

The sorcerer hesitated for a long moment at that, sinking in his seat briefly as he considered the offer.

On the one hand he was often pretty sensitive about his hands, on the other it was far from the first time he’d held Tony’s hand - or even had Tony hold his. And for the sake of the betterment of his general existence…?

Sitting up, Stephen offered his right hand to Tony, feeling rather bashful about the whole idea - _ damn his crush. _

All he could hope was that the man didn’t notice the heat he felt in his face as his left hand flipped through a couple of pages of the book, plenty ready to hear what the A.I. had gleaned from her translation of the book.

“... thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do, Stephen.”

Tony was careful as he took Stephen’s hand in the both of his. He nodded his head curtly before focusing on soothing out the muscles.

His fingers folded under Stephen’s palm as his thumbs pressed into the tops of Stephen’s hands, making sure to treat them rather delicately as he soothed circles into the skin, kneading and working the muscles in gentle circles to try and wake the stiff muscles. He made sure not to press too hard, gentle enough to not even stimulate his capillary reflex in the process.

“Friday, if you’d be so kind…?” Stephen requested softly, wincing slightly in pain as his still somewhat seized hand was gently prodded and massaged into a mildly less painful state.

“Once upon a time-”

Stephen couldn’t even let her finish that much before piping up. “ _ Really? _ Once upon a time is how you want to start this?”

“It  _ is _ the most appropriate modern interpretation of the beginning of this chapter, yes doctor. If you’d like to advise an alteration I will take note of it and consider making adjustments if it doesn’t conflict with the translation.”

“She’s as much of a smartass as you are.” The sorcerer sighed to Tony and shook his head. “... please. Continue.”

There wasn't a word from Tony as he seemed to be amused by the sorcerer arguing with his A.I., especially while working the stress out of his muscles. His thumbs had been kneading Stephen’s hands in cyclical patterns before he’d apparently done enough and finally let go.

“Very well.” The A.I. responded, beginning again. “Once upon a time there was a town born of fear. Incapable of accepting what they did not know and assuming that what they did not understand was something as akin to evil as they understood, they waged a war on the very forests that surrounded them on all sides and despite the war seeming utterly unwinnable, win they did.”

“... well that’s cheerful.” Stephen murmured, and the A.I. continued on as though she hadn’t heard him.

“But what the humans deemed ‘evil’ was simply that which they did not know, and the entities they waged their war against were healers and protectors of life, who did not take lives themselves. Thus the war they thought unwinnable had been entirely in their favour the whole time.”

“What was that I was saying about this feeling a little…  _ fairy tale? _ ” Tony started, a wide grin on his face as he held out his hand, waiting for Stephen to offer up up his other palm to work on.

“I honestly think it’s cute that you went through all of this to spend just a little bit of time with me Stephen. I’m not insulted, I'm absolutely flattered.” The amusement was literally dripping from the engineer’s voice. “Though I do want to hear how this ends, I like a good story as much as the next person!”

“Don’t start with me, Stark.” Stephen stated, looking far  _ less _ amused than the mechanic did. 

He’d spent more than two weeks already attempting to make sense of this book and for it to be some kind of  _ fairy tale _ as Tony had insinuated - grated on him a good deal. 

That didn’t stop him from turning in his seat to offer his other hand to Tony, palm up, rather actively sulking.

The A.I. waited out their little dispute before continuing. “For nearly three decades it was believed that the  _ undesirable _ entities of the forest had been entirely wiped from existence and that soon enough they would be known as nothing but tales to warn children away from venturing into the forest and too far from home. Memories of strange bogeyman - neither men nor beast, trapped somewhere in between and spoken of as flesheaters and monsters.”

It really  **was** sounding more and more a fairy tale as Friday spoke and Stephen made an effort not to grit his teeth as his brain had already begun work trying to piece together the cautionary message of this particular tale. Something like  _ ’don’t judge a book by its cover’ _ or maybe just  _ ’don’t go slaughtering people for no reason’ _ maybe?

The grin on Tony’s face only grew wider as he accepted Stephen’s palm and busied himself with rubbing at the skin and muscle.

“Tales like that do little to quiet the spirits of explorers however and one such explorer  _ did _ wander too far from home, with memories of the kindness of said monsters held deep in his heart. He wandered further in this direction than he ever had before. Beyond the treeline that acted as a barrier between the farmlands and the wildlands, beyond the snowy meadow he’d snuck in to play as a child, beyond the  _ frozen creek _ he’d never dared venture, and barely two steps further into the forbidden - the unknown, untamed wilds.”

“I’m sure there’s some more tragic stories in there, something with magic - by the sounds of it this book is going to be filled with it. But you would have already known that Stephen… Or is this all a test to see how good Friday is at translating, or if I’m capable?” He continued to tease softly, rotating Stephen’s palm and focusing on the back of his trembling appendages.

“I like a good novel as much as the next guy.”

Unfortunately as it was, the story - if anything, seemed to be more of a hoax in both of their eyes. Although, Tony’s curiosity in the content kept him going.

He didn’t appear to be in any condition to want to put the book down and stop working at it.

“I’m not trying to waste your time.” Stephen responded a little defensively, beginning to withdraw his hand for a moment before taking a deep breath and just relaxing, allowing the engineer to continue his massage even as Stephen’s gaze simply fell away and to one side. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know this would be such an utter waste of time when I said you should see it. I’m sure I’ve kept you from your own work long enough.”

The snapping shut of a book startled him before his brain could divert entirely into some kind of self-deprecation and he looked up sharply to see the cloak had closed his book on druidic lore rather sharply. 

With a small gesture from the cloak the A.I. in the room took as a sign to continue, she continued her task of storytelling.

“The animals there showed a curious lack of fear of him, roaming freely in his path as though he was nothing more than another animal among them. The snow seemed less deep, the things he sought seemed more readily available, the world looked different in that place. But it went from different to gone in a flash of red.

For the land was not his own anymore - he had tread into sacred territory and the last lands protected by the last of the creatures in the woods. A creature that had no reason to take kindly to his people after what they had done. A creature that was frightened, defensive and angry - a thing that any hunter knew would be dangerous in any other beast but was all the more so for the last surviving forest spirit.”

“Flash of red...” Tony mumbled softly to himself as he listened intently. “Hang on, I want to hear where this is going - I’m having fun with this.” Tony’s smile was wide as he focused on working the slightly trembling digits under the pads of his fingers.

They were worked so carefully and delicately, until at one point Tony stopped to to pay his attention to the narrative of the story. Of course, he still had Stephen’s hand in his own, just holding onto it with that brief pause before continuing again as he seemed to realize that they were  _ simply just holding hands at this point _ .

“I can’t imagine  _ just _ any old story book would have had those diagrams and pictures in there. As much as I want to joke about it - this would be a much too elaborate of a joke even for you, Strange.”

Stephen gave a shrug of agreement at that. He could go a long way for the sake of a joke, but when it came down to it he wasn’t the kind of person to prank someone in a manner that was so distinctly inconvenient to them. He was far from wanting to encourage Tony to leave either, given that frankly his right hand already felt a lot better and the left was finally starting to relax a little after having been overused once his right had seized up.

“When he woke,” Friday continued, content to take Stephen’s silence along with Tony’s encouragement as reason enough to proceed, “the explorer was in the heart of the forest, surrounded and restrained by wood, and face to face with the last of the druids.”

The sorcerer was at least pleased to hear the word ‘druid’ used. It was a suggestion enough that book might have held at least a  _ little bit _ of legitimate information on something relevant. Whether the timeline of the book was accurate or not, it was rare for older books to even discuss druids until a whole resurgence of interest had happened in magical community during the 1700s. This book had been identified as being much older than that.

At first the druid seemed as though he took issue with the man’s presence entirely, though to both of their surprise the creature released him into the snow, far from the sacred grounds he’d trespassed upon. It was to be far from their last encounter.

The explorer was a man both clever and curious - too much so for his own good. Some would say he believed in the impossible and strove to make dreams a reality in his own ways, through use of mechanisms and alchemy. In private he was pleased enough to consider himself an alchemist by design. But for him to encounter something that he considered impossible meant he needed to find answers - and there being a living druid despite what everyone knew of their demise meant there were questions to ask. 

So he took to the forest again, once more crossing the meadow and the creek into the deep woods.”

Tony focused as he considered the story, it seemed as though the engineer was thinking hard on the information presented to them. He finally let go of Stephen’s hand with a look on his face as if he had been shaken to his very core.

“You know… I’m not trying to ride the whole theme of things, but I had a dream last night and a lot of this kind of reminds me of elements from it…” He piped up, just as quickly quieting himself to make sure he wasn't getting too out of range with things.

“-I… Had a dream about being trapped within branches, waking up to a strange figure that reminded me of you, with horns and birds and everything…” He started, his voice taking on a shy cadence as if it could be criticized at any moment.

“I can’t explain it… but everything in this story strikes so close to home… like I’ve been there in the moment at some point…”

The A.I. fell silent and Stephen folded his hands in his lap to give Tony a curious look. Despite Tony’s apparent concerns, Stephen took the time to consider the possibility of what Tony said. 

On the one hand, there  _ was _ something inherently magical about the book - there was no question about that in Stephen’s eyes, though whether it was a simple charm or something more complex he couldn’t say. 

The first day Tony had come to seek him for help he’d had the book near him and he  _ had _ suggested to Tony even that something in the Sanctum might have been having some kind of effect on his dreams - could it have been the book itself? Was Tony dreaming portions of the book and filling in things he didn’t know with things he was familiar with? 

What kind of magic created that effect without being actively apparent within a dreamscape?

“I have an idea why that might be… but I’ll need to check something first. Excuse me just a moment.” The sorcerer offered the brunette a small smile as he got to his feet and made his way to the staircase. He was sure he’d seen something about enchantments as related to dreaming not that long ago he’d been considering taking a look in relation to Tony’s dreams anyway - it seemed like as good a time as any.

 

* * *

 

The sorcerer returned soon enough with yet another of his many large tomes. This one, not unlike another he’d shown off before, had a moon to one side and a symbol that looked like some kind of sun perhaps opposite it. There were a short series of runes that appeared between them that were easy enough to identify  _ as runes _ but otherwise might have been scribbles for all the sense they made to the uninitiated.

Setting the book down on the table after shuffling the teapot and coffee pot to opposite sides, Stephen opened it to flip through quickly enough. 

“I mentioned a couple weeks ago when we first started all of this that I thought perhaps something in the Sanctum was affecting your dreams and trying to protect you and draw you away from the nightmares you were struggling with. At the time it didn’t occur to me that I’d recently acquired this book or that it might be anything with a  _ passive _ enchantment in it. It still may not be, this is just a working theory at the moment. Whether the book is trying to make you dream its contents, or the dreams themselves are manifesting in a certain way because of slight influences from the book, or even - and this is a bit more farfetched I’ll grant you - that perhaps the book is in some way attempting to record your dreams…”

Stephen sighed a bit as he sunk into a seat, shaking his head. “I have a good number of mental protections against invasions in my dreams after an…  _ unpleasant _ incident which might explain why it’s not affecting me the same way.”

There was a long pause as Tony tried to absorb the information handed to him.

What Stephen was claiming was that he wasn’t actually dreaming the things he was experiencing every night, but they were manifestations of the book he’d recently uncovered? Again, yes it seemed like the timing was odd but he also didn’t doubt what he felt and he needed to somehow convey this.

“Wait - hold on a minute doc - so you’re saying that recently my nightmares have been impeded by such dreams as products from the books manifestations...?” He started, trailing off softly. “And that I’m only experiencing them and you aren’t because I’m not protected?” He trailed off, his mind jumping this way and that anxiously. 

Far be it for him to discredit his feelings on the matter, and he wasn’t about to do so either.

“So does that honestly discredit how I felt towards you and everything else after the dreams had passed? I have a hard time believing that.”

“I don’t think that discredits anything you felt or experienced and I’m not stating anything as fact.” Stephen looked up from the book to give him a thoughtful look. “It’s just a  _ theory _ as I said. A very loose and in progress theory. We’ve talked about these dreams of yours in a good deal of depth and you’ve stated at times that none of these places are places you would have typically considered safe places, or places you’d been before or anything like that.”

The man paused briefly and reached to refill his teacup. “But I also spoke with you about what I’d considered a stream-”

“The word doesn’t translate directly to creek, doctor,” Friday piped up, “-but indicates something that could be anything from a small brook to a wide river. It’s simply a waterflow of some sort.”

“Well that just adds to my point. Thank you Friday.” Stephen nodded as he set the teapot down and added a little sugar to his tea again. “A stream or creek or whathaveyou in your dream was something that caused you brief distress… and then it froze over and you crossed it easily. I should have picked up on that earlier, but you dreamed it well before we read through all of this. The correlation between the two  _ seems _ possible - plausible even, given that we don’t know the nature of the book precisely. But I’m not  _ fixed _ on this idea solely. It’s simply worth considering.”

“Alright, so what if - for the sake of playing devil’s advocate - my sleeping patterns are in fact being influenced by the book.” Tony started and held out his hands as if to make a point.

“I’m sure as a relic or so just like the cloak, it has a purpose.” He began looking from Stephen and then to the cloak. “What could this specific relic gain out of this other than having us study the book and decode it? As an ancient relic, wouldn’t it make sense that it wanted to stay hidden or un-decoded? Or if not, is it not a bad idea to indulge and get to the bottom of this?” Tony started trying to make sense of it all.

“It has a priority, and it isn’t malevolent, so is there really anything wrong with this thing having its own itinerary?” He followed up softly as he referred to Stephen, his hands folded and fidgeting anxiously in front of himself.

“Well! That’s a lot to unpack isn’t it?” Stephen offered the engineer a smile at that, looking oddly excited by his line of questioning even as he sipped at his tea. “First of all it may be  _ possible _ that this is a relic, but more likely the book is simply an artifact. Relics are meant to be wielded or used in some way and typically won’t simply  _ work _ for someone that they haven’t chosen. And while it’s not impossible that some of what it’s been doing could be  _ likened _ to having chosen  _ you _ ... a relic won’t choose someone who doesn’t already _ know how to wield magic _ .  There’s a certain resonance required. They are typically  _ created _ by magic users.

"An artifact on the other hand can be created by someone magical or non-magical depending on its purpose, and for the most part they’re simply identified as objects of cultural or historical interest. Given the age of the book and the fact that whether this  _ is _ a fairy tale or not it’s preserving at least some of the ideology of its time - possibly more - then it might very well be that its purpose is to share that knowledge. If someone skilled with enchanting wrote this book it may well be that they recognized that in the future it may not be able to be translated and instead made sure that the story could be passed on even if it’s through something as typically unguarded as dreams. However, I suspect there’s a lot more to it than that.”

Reaching to dig around for his cellphone, the sorcerer pulled it out after a moment and scrolled shakily through it before opening a folder and a picture and offering it to Tony. “I’m afraid there’s no appropriate stabilizer so a lot of the pictures are blurry, but… I have a suspicion that there’s something in this book that might be the key to opening the door in the tomb I found it in. I expect that’s why the writing itself is coded. Many mages will hide their creations away to make sure those they don’t deem worthy can’t get their hands on it. Making sense of this book might well be the writer’s test.”

Tony leaned over the book rubbing his chin, trying to consider the differences.

“So, all things considered - let's say yes, this is an artifact, and not that I know even an ounce of magic - it’s somehow attuned to use, or we’ve attuned to it... and now it’s injecting content into my dreams.” Tony started as he reiterated trying to solidify the evidence. 

His eyes scanned over the cloak who seemed very anxiously awaiting as it hovered nearby, invested like the rest of them.

“Why me of all people - since the dreams started with me - and  _ not you _ ? And why specifically when I came to see you and not a moment later or sooner? It wasn’t the first time we’ve interactive before… and what do these images even mean? Does this discredit the whole cardinal and stag theories? Do those motifs even mean anything anymore?” Tony groaned softly wanting to knock his head down against the table.

Tony threw his arms up. “I mean the most powerful wizard of modern day is right here, in a house surrounded by artifacts and relics… and it chooses to  _ afflict me _ with its influences.”

“I’d only fairly recently  _ found _ the book when you came to visit me. You slept in close proximity to the book unlike anyone else who had come by or has come by since. And I have mental barriers and protective magic in place to prevent things from messing with my head - dreams or otherwise.” The sorcerer took a long pause before sighing softly.

“... but with that said I had a rather odd dream myself last night and my proximity to the book was closer than I’ve slept to it before. It wasn’t… quite like your dreams. No stag. No cardinal…” He paused at that, before sighing and running a hand into his hair. “Or maybe that’s not entirely true. I believe  _ I _ was a bird. Or many birds. It’s… a little hard to say. I was keeping an eye on a man who made me anxious and yet felt familiar for some reason. He kept feeding me seeds in the snow…”

There was an odd smile on the sorcerer’s face for a moment before he simply crossed his arms and shook his head. “Anyway. All of this is still just theory and speculation. Whether it changes any of the meanings of the cardinal or the stag… I have no way of knowing yet. But perhaps the book can tell us more?”

Tony squinted as he watched Stephen recall his dream from last night. He paused briefly before speaking up.

“I had an odd dream last night as well, no cardinals or stags… much different than all of the previous dreams. I woke up trapped in a tree with a strange man with antlers as my warden… It’s hard to remember the rest but I vaguely remember small birds and a forest as well. And it was winter as well...” Tony tapped his cheek softly as he looked over the book, flipping some of the pages.

There was a soft pause as Tony narrowed his eyes for a moment as if the signs were lining up on a slot machine.

“You don’t think…”

“If you’re about to suggest a shared dreaming experience I’m not sure what to make of that.” Stephen chuckled a little, but didn’t seem to be making fun of him. He looked rather thoughtful about the matter in fact. “You mentioned your dream earlier, but… you said something about the man with antlers reminding you of me?”

Tony quirked his eyebrows at the notion.

“Yeah, he did… if you suddenly sprouted antlers and started walking around…” His finger pointed at Stephen’s chest and he cleared his throat. “... _ if you also walked around shirtless and bulked up a bit.”  _ He trailed off softly.

“Druids are… believed to have been shapeshifters.” Stephen explained after a moment. “Nature spirits whose oneness with nature was held so strongly that they could take on the forms of various animals. There’s been some debate on whether a druid was limited to one particular animal, or if they could become whatever they wanted. Given the association you’ve made between myself and the stag  _ as well as _ myself and the antlered man… you  _ may _ be associating me with the druid overall. You may well have been dreaming some indications of it’s shapeshifting… and it’s not impossible that the druid was  _ both _ the stag and the cardinal. But there’s a lot we don’t know about druids, so this is still all speculation.”

Though he looked like he had more to say, the sorcerer simply sipped at his tea and stared at the mysterious fairy tale.

“That’s all fine and dandy but what’s the end goal with all of this? I mean this thing obviously wants something out of us. It's making us - or at least me - dream up and feel things that are akin to nostalgia every time. I mean you dreamed you were the druid, I dreamed I was the person you were speaking with, and this all ties into my feelings, I just-” Tony was having a hard time actually digesting this overload of information.

“- And now you’re talking about shared dreaming too? Like… That’s a thing?” Tony rubbed his forehead. “This is going to be one of those situations where I feel like the more we figure out, the less we end up knowing…” He mumbled with a soft huff.

“Welcome to what it feels like to study magic. The more you learn, the less you  _ know. _ ” Stephen laughed softly. 

“Regarding the shared dreaming thing - I assumed that was what  _ you _ were suggesting. It’s not as though people haven’t shared dreams before, but there’s usually a lot more ritual involved in making that happen… for it to happen on its own like this isn’t something familiar to me. I’m not saying it’s impossible and if we assume there might  _ somehow _ be druidic magic at play then… honestly I’m fairly out of my depth entirely. I don’t know what it wants. Maybe it just doesn’t want its memories forgotten.”

There was a sinking feeling in Tony’s chest as he thought about it. A sort of anxiety that stemmed from the idea that these feelings might have been artificially implanted. Like a seed that had taken root in his subconscious, it was something he wasn’t going to ever be able to forget and shrug off. Some of the images and depictions weren’t nightmarish in quality, but their lasting effects were… haunting to say the least.

How he felt at the time, how he felt now, there was a longing pitted in his chest after each dream and he knew it was only going to get worse from here on out. Did he want to stop them?  _ Or keep going, and figure out what was causing it all? _

“I get this feeling it’s not going to stop until we figure all of this out.” Tony smoothed over the pages once again rubbing his temples. “It’s like we're trying to find a key, to a key so we can unlock more of god-knows-what.” He let out a deep breath.

“Looks like we’re in on the long haul for this one.” He laughed softly, looking back to Stephen. “Though I think if anything… I need a shower.”

“A shower and then breakfast?” Stephen suggested, nodding a little in his spot as he finished off his second cup of tea. “The cloak can show you the way to the main bathroom if you’d like. I can’t very well offer you a change of clothes, but there are fresh towels out and things in there that you can use.”

Tony nodded and then turned to the cloak that was hovering near him with as much anticipation as a piece of clothing could possibly show. Which, remarkably, was a lot.

“I think I’ll be fine in these clothes for one more day, not like I can’t just go home and change whenever.” He added softly before heading up the stairs as the end of the cloak tugged at him. He was about to make a comment about it but flashed Stephen a quick smile before regarding the cloak and watching his footing.

Twenty minutes had elapsed and the shower in the main bathroom turned off to signal the conclusion of the engineer’s morning rituals. He’d managed to augment his suit (quite comically so) into a razor to shave his face, poaching some shaving cream from a stray and very old looking bottle on one of the cabinet shelves. He seemed to make due with what was there, but of all the things he didn’t have?  _ A hairbrush seemed to be one of them. _

Tony wrapped a towel around his waist and started trotting through the Sanctum, cloak immediately at his heels as he trudged over to where he thought he heard Stephen, knocking a couple times on the door.

“Hey doc, you wouldn’t happen to have an extra brush… and quite possibly a stick of deodorant I could borrow for a hot moment?” He leaned up against the door, one hand holding his towel up.

“There should be a fresh stick of deodorant under the sink in the spare bathroom.” The doctor responded from within, before a little rustling could be heard and the door finally opened to a rather freshly washed sorcerer. 

The man wore a pair of pants but little else as he stood there holding a brush, his gaze dropping rather pointedly to the towel and wandering back up to meet the engineer’s face with a steady reddening of his face. There was a beat before the man seemed to gather his wits about himself again, reaching out to offer the hairbrush rather pointedly and not remarking on the man’s state of dress.

Tony had been perfectly candid as soon as he saw the sorcerer, likewise there in just a pair of pants.

“Eyes are up here Strange… Not like it's the first time you’ve seen me without a shirt, take it all in though,  _ if you want. _ ” He snorted softly with a suggestive click of his tongue, teasing the poor man.

“You must take some pretty hot showers too doc, your face is entirely red. Careful you don’t just pass out in there.” The brunette knew that wasn’t the case as he took the brush from Stephen’s shaky hand and began to run it through his hair with a quick ‘thanks!’

He made sure to posture unnecessarily in the process.

“There’s a difference between knowing you’re undressing, and just  _ opening the door _ to find out a  _ guest _ has decided to wander around the Sanctum in naught but a towel,” Stephen muttered, disappearing back into the bathroom to finish with whatever he was doing. The door remained cracked open however, clearly indicating he wasn’t being  _ dismissed _ \- more likely the doctor was trying to use the room divide as a barrier between his embarrassment and the engineer.

“Was it really that unexpected though?” Tony called through the door, running the bristles through his hair as he retreated back to the bathroom to finish grooming himself.

Managing to pull himself together all things considered, he hung up the towel and let the bathroom dry from the mist and fog hanging in the air, dressing himself before he went downstairs. He settled back into the study as he went through some of the translated notes on the tablet in wait for Stephen to finish up.

_ Still perplexed that if this was some sort of storybook, then why were there diagrams? Was it less a story and more a journal? And if so, who’s journal and again… why him? _

When Stephen joined him they took some time to order breakfast and even to sit back and chat while they ate, listening as Friday explained the alchemist’s second trip into the woods and his fascination with the traps he found strewn about the area - enough fascination that he apparently decided to set one off intentionally, though luckily for him it was to precisely the effect he wanted as it brought him back to the druid he’d been seeking.

She spoke of the warnings the druid gave and the alchemist’s disregard of them, and how the alchemist had recognized well enough that blasting his way free of his bonds was ill-advised. She read aloud the banter between the two men regarding the alchemist’s presence in sacred lands and the druid’s further warning that he would not be so lenient a third time, and even of the alchemist’s brazen statement of how distinctly unthreatening the druid was.

Stephen and Tony shared a laugh over the odd moment when Stephen had refilled his tea just in time for the A.I. to read about the sharing of tea between the druid and the alchemist, and the sorcerer even jotted down notes about some of the characteristics of a druid as explained by the book - not for himself, he explained, but to make certain that the information was being preserved for others.

There was something to be said for the odd sympathy and companionship between the alchemist and the druid, even as the alchemist insisted on being allowed to visit despite the potential danger it put the druid in.

By the time dinner rolled around, they were caught up on what the first chapter of the book had to provide and the pair were left to discuss what they’d learned and what steps to take to decode the rest of the book. With the timing being as it was however they both eventually agreed that it was best to save that for the next day (after much insistence on Tony’s part) and a proper night of sleep for the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	11. On Red Wings

The sun had begun to set and though the territory was safe during the day, traversing the woods at night time could not necessarily be considered so.

Vien had told him if he wanted to make it home before dark he should get going. There was resistance on his part, but Antonio had managed to  _ practically _ annoy his way into the druid's den. There were so many things he wanted to learn - to ask his new  _ friend _ \- but time was a variable that seemed to work against him.

As much as he wanted to stay, it was necessary for both of their safety for the alchemist to return to the town. If the alchemist didn’t return home he risked a search party coming out and intruding upon the druid’s sanctuary. Plus the man wasn’t equipped to deal with the harsh winter nights - he was only a human after all and there were many nocturnal threats within the woods that could quite easily kill a human.

The druid had highlighted a specific route that would get the alchemist home safely, but as headstrong as he was he decided to take the alternate short-cut across the frozen river that he was familiar with. Spring was approaching, he’d explained, and the ice that provided a sturdy bridge to the other side so many times before was weakening with the weather.

The alchemist was a grown man - he wasn’t about to get schooled and coddled by another man who was  _ supposedly _ older than him; he answered to no one these days. For safety purposes he did grab a walking stick to poke and prod the ice to test the structural integrity.

One foot onto the ice, a poke and a prod, then the other foot.

The ice _ seemed  _ sound.

Intrepid, Antonio shuffled across the ice and as there seemed to be no apparent risk as he continued onward until he had made it halfway across and then a loud booming crack like thunder reverberated through the ice beneath his feet.

_ Antonio stopped. _

“That’s not… good.” He laughed nervously, shuffling a little closer to the other side as the ice beneath his feet groaned under his weight.

_ Another shuffle - another crack. _ He was nearly there, to the other side.

Continuing to spread his weight out, he inched further and further until there was one more massive snap and the ice gave way beneath the alchemist’s feet. The water churned and bit at him and he disappeared beneath the surface. 

A moment later came a sharp biting pain into either of his shoulders as something grabbed him, yanking him up and out of the water.

A cough and a gasp left him as he tried to get air into his lungs and his body shuddered desperately with cold as he was lifted higher and higher into the air. The trees fell away beneath him and a distinct chirping could be heard on the wind as rich red wings flapped to either side of him. 

His shoulders ached where shaky talons held him and he could feel the almost burning heat of his own blood rolling over cold, wet skin as the entirely too-large bird carrying him took off in a direction he couldn’t determine - _ everything looked different from up here. _

In the fading light of the evening he could see the tree that towered over the others in the forest - Home Tree - but they passed it by widely and as much as he hoped Vien could get him out of whatever situation he’d been caught in, he was too far from the tree to try and even call out to him.

Instead he simply shook and shuddered in the cold and watched a mountain in the distance growing steadily nearer.

Eventually he was dropped to the ground just a little higher than the base of the mountain. He wasn’t far from the ground when the bird released him but far enough that the drop left him to fall to the ground - his legs cold and unwilling to bear his weight. 

The creature that had collected him descended to the ground near him, towering over him and flapping its wings a few times, chirping deeply and loudly at him as it did.

The alchemist’s eyes almost rolled back in his head as he laid there flat on the ground with the massive creature that stood over him shrieking in his face.

He was cold, prone and to top it all off he had massive cuts in his shoulders from the beast grappling him. He could see his blood on what looked to be armor on it’s massive talons that stamped on the spot anxiously as it dipped its head and chirruped apprehensively at him.

_ Guess this is how I die... At the claws of a giant bird… _

His head fell to the side and he let out a soft groan, his entire body starting to feel numb and sharp all over. He could see his breath in the crisp air as the temperature was quickly dropping. He honestly didn’t know what was worse - drowning in a river or being picked apart and eaten by a giant bird.

He was riddled with uncontrollable shakes and he turned away as the creature’s head leaned in closer, hoping the cold would kill him before whatever this monstrous bird was.

A few more aggressive chirps left the beast before it began to fold its wings, nudging at him with its beak in a surprisingly gentle manner. A few smaller birds - familiar little finches - made an appearance, settling on the ground around him and peeping softly at him. The large bird on the other hand looked distinctly puffed up still in its place as its beak began to slowly pry at the man’s clothes.

Expecting the sharp pain from a beak ripping at his flesh, he instead simply felt the tug on his clothing.

His shirt tore with no resistance and his eyes snapped open as he looked at the massive beast and gave a rather funny look in response.

A large red wing extended and curled around him finally as though the bird meant to corral him in some manner, though when it seemed to get the impression he wasn’t intent on moving the bird moved in closer to curl its other wing around him as well, effectively fencing him and his tiny little finch friends in. The finches didn’t seem off-put by this in the slightest, even as the bird’s head lowered to nudge at him once more.

Finally the bird seemed to settle itself on the ground, laying over him partially and offering a surprising amount of warmth amidst some of those feathers without the discomfort of too much weight. It squawked at him, before once again picking lightly at his clothing with its beak, tugging here and there as though trying to remove them.

“OK, no, no, no, you are not doing that to me. If you’re going to eat me it’s a package deal - clothes and all-mf!” His words had been muttered halfway through as the animal once again shifted over him, smothering him in a breast of red feathers.

His shirt was completely pulled free, cloak and all exposing his bare chest, glowing reactor and the veiny blue lines that snaked down his right arm.

It was soft - the red feathers on its belly were gentle and insulating against his skin, effective at keeping the cold away. Were he to be a bird’s meal then in theory he would have been dead already - but he wasn’t. 

He leaned into the ruffled feathers for warmth as the cold threatened to nip at his bare bleeding shoulders.

_ This was quite the predicament. _

The bird remained in its spot for a good few minutes, allowing the man to warm up at least enough to help ease his shaking, before the weight and softness on him seemed to fade away. His skin was being sheltered by a soft cloth and a familiar pair of eyes watched him as Vien stared down at him, looking somewhere between cross and worried.

Any scolding he might have considered went ignored as the druid reached to pick him up with the help his long red cowl. “We need to warm you up.” He stated lowly. “And I need to check your wounds.”

The cowl continued to shelter him even as he was delicately settled near a remarkably hot pool of water - not  _ in _ it mercifully since he still wasn’t exactly  _ warm, _ but near it enough that the air was filled with steam and warmth. The druid undressed himself without much ceremony, collecting a couple of things from his pockets before kneeling in front of the alchemist.

“Let’s see them then.”

There was  _ way  _ too much going on at the moment.

_ So the bird was a man - not any man,  _ **_Vien_ ** _ … what? And now he was naked and Vien was completely naked and they were both naked - and…. _

_ Together… _

_ And he was touching him... and… _

_ WHAT?! _

Antonio’s head was swimming with so many questions. 

First, he thought he was going to die, then he wasn’t, and now he was sitting with the druid, naked…  _ and at least he was warm now. _

“Well… I didn’t see that coming…” The alchemist piped up “-So you can turn into a bird then...” The alchemist rasped with chattering teeth as he tried not to gaze the man below the waist.

The alchemist had three vertical claw marks on his shoulders starting from the top of his pectorals up to his collarbone, torn jagged flesh. He had streams of blood leaking down from those marks that would need to be bandaged and most likely disinfected.

“I can turn in to any number of things as needed but it’s certainly a form I favour.” The druid agreed, seeming to make no real mind of his own nudity as he crowded closer into the other man’s space. His expression somewhat crestfallen and a good deal more remorseful than Antonio had ever seen him before.

“I’m… so sorry I hurt you. I’ll do as much as I can to fix this but… it will take time and it won’t be a painless process.” His bright eyes seemed darker than usual, though it was likely as not because of the deep frown on his face, before Vien’s hand moved to the bare dirt near the hot spring and began to grow a variety of small plants. 

Somewhere in all of this Antonio still questioned  _ why _ Vien needed to be in the nude for all of this.

Vien pulled at petals and leaves as the cowl offered Antonio as much modesty as he could rightfully ask of a scarf, before it shook itself into something akin to a blanket and draped across him more thoroughly, intent on keeping him warm.

The alchemist pulled the cloak closer over his body, though not over his shoulders as it circled around him.

“Trust me on this - it’s fine. I’d rather a few marks on my shoulder than be at the bottom of a river as a bloated corpse.” He laughed softly, face flushed from either the cold or the  _ exposure _ . He was uncertain but it was hard to deal with the druid’s nudity since… it wasn’t like he hung around a lot of naked and  _ attractive l _ ooking men.

“I think if anything I should be thanking you for fishing me out of that river…  _ no pun intended. _ ” Antonio's teeth chattered again as he idly watched the druid.

_ He sure was feeling a lot of conflicting emotions right now. _

“If you’d  _ listened _ to me instead of being so stubborn…!” The druid started, his tone becoming rather heated briefly before he took a deep breath and exhaled, seeming to calm himself a bit as he started to try and grind what he’d gathered into a soft paste, adding water from the spring now and then before shuffling back over to the alchemist with a sigh.

_ Antonio flinched as he moved closer. _

The alchemist let out a soft sigh, he really didn’t need to hear it. He was well aware that he took a chance at his own risk and the repercussions from his folly was punishment enough. 

Now he had to listen to the druid ream him out for it?

"I know…  _ I know _ , you don't need to tell me."

“When you’re ready feel free to sink your feet and legs into the water. Take it slowly, the water is  _ very _ warm. This will help to clean the wounds and keep them from bleeding too much. Once your body is warmed and cleansed, I can bandage your wounds at my home. But for the moment the goal is to try and return your body to its appropriate temperature.”

He let out a soft sigh, nodding compliantly as he let the red fabric of the cowl slide down over his chest, exposing everything above as his feet slightly dipped into the steaming water. 

The water burned to touch as he tested it, recoiling a bit before entering - slowly and cautiously slipping down to his hips. He turned around with a cautious look, leaving the cowl on the edge of the water as it let go of the alchemist.

Antonio was certain his face was still red as he got an eye-full of the fully nude druid kneeling behind him. It was a fruitless task to try avoid gazing upon him  and he had to ask again, _ why was he even undressed anyways?! _

There was a soft hiss as he slipped in up to his midsection, leaning against the rocks of the hot spring. He turned around with a gentle nod of his head, any leftover blood on his chest having faded in the bobbling hot water he was now half submerged in.

“Alright, ok this is… kind of nice...”

Slipping into the water behind him the druid reached to gently begin cleansing Antonio’s wounds some with a cloth in one hand and applying a salve rather shakily with the other once the area was cleaned. The mixture stung at first, before eventually making the surrounding area feel rather numb; Vien moved on to his other side shortly after.

“Clearly, I  _ do _ need to tell you things. And  _ reiterate _ them to you. When it comes to the  _ forest _ at least trust me when I’m warning you of things. I can’t  _ protect _ you if you don’t  _ listen _ to me.” Vien’s tone was much less angry - sounding more worried than anything. 

Worried… and  _ scared.  _

“You’re very lucky I  _ expected _ you might not listen and kept an eye on you, or I wouldn’t have reached you in time to find where the river had taken you. You might have been over the falls before I made it and it would be luck alone if you survived that fall.”

Antonio let his shoulders drop some with a sigh. It took a moment for the cogs to turn before Antonio finally moved past their current  _ situation  _ to absorb what was happening overall. 

He couldn’t help but sink into the water in some semblance of shame. He was being mother-henned at  _ quite literally _ , and he couldn’t really argue back against a man that saved his life.

Just as he thought he had gotten over all of this, Vien had parked himself behind him, chest-to-back and was rubbing his shoulders. 

He couldn’t comprehend this if he wanted to. 

He’d just met this druid and not only was he stripping down in front of him like it was  _ nobody’s business,  _ but now he was _ sharing a hot spring with him, naked. _ This was about the most pseudo-intimate situation the engineer had ever been in with  _ a man... _

This was an overload and just as the alchemist seemed to relax there was some sort of surprise that popped out at him.

The druid took a few more minutes to finish covering the wounds before wrapping his arms gently around the man from behind, lowering his head to bury his nose against the shorter man’s shoulder.

The alchemist flinched once again on first contact before he was able to ease up and relax.

“You took all this time convincing me to let you stay… you’re not allowed to leave me so permanently now. I don’t want to be alone like that again. It would be… rather boring. I’d miss you.”

And what little understanding Antonio had about the druid  _ went right out the window.  _ He’d greased up the cogs and gotten them working - yes.  _ But then they’d been spinning so quickly he literally lost a screw, and the whole damn machine fell apart. _

Despite the heat from the water the alchemist had frozen up in that moment. He’d hardly expected any of his efforts to have had such an effect on the druid. All the banter and word-play and here he’d rubbed off and had an affect on one of the loneliest spirits in the forest.

He was mostly confused - not used to this type of care and affection from another man. But was it really  _ fair  _ to hold a druid to the same human standards? 

It dawned upon him that he had a man, or druid -  _ it didn't matter _ \- that  _ wanted  _ to show him more care and respect than he’d received from almost anyone in his life. Someone that genuinely concerned themselves for what happened to him, looked out for his well being.

He tilted his head to look at his shoulders, feeling the other’s weight on his back muscles. He allowed his muscles to relax and slide back into the contour of the druid’s front, closing his eyes for a moment to settle his nerves. Whether the chatter he responded with in his voice was from just being plain old nervous or cold still - that was anyone’s guess.

“I… were you really concerned about me?”

Vien let out an indignant huff as his arms wrapped more firmly around the smaller man, grumbling softly to himself for a moment before giving a small nod. 

“Of course I was. And I could have  _ lost you _ because you were too  _ proud  _ or too  _ foolish _ to listen to me! And then what would I have done?” The druid slowly relaxed back against the edges of the spring, not loosening his hold in the slightest.

“I was frightened I would drop you - I’ve never carried something so large before in my talons and… like my hands, they’re damaged. I was so scared… I held tighter than I should have.  _ And I hurt you _ . I  _ never _ meant to hurt you…”

“Your hands, that’s right.” The alchemist reached back and tapped the druid softly to let him know he was going to turn around. He wiggled his way around in the arms that were looped rather taut around his midsection. Antonio was still trying to distract himself from the fact that Vien was  _ very much still nude, _ but with gentle concern he took one of his hands between his own to cradle it.

“Are they ok? They’re not hurt are they?”

“The salve… numbed them. I suspect they’ll ache again when it wears off but for now at least they’re numb.” The druid gave a small smile, his head pulled back a bit to look down at the smaller man. 

“But your clothes are wet and I might’ve ruined them... you shouldn’t be wearing them regardless. The closest I can bring you to your home is the meadow near your village. Any closer and they’ll see me… and I ought to bandage you up before we do that. I think we can manage to get you some kind of attire to get the rest of the way home safely and warm.”

Antonio shook his head, waving a hand with his nerves settling some as he made the best of the situation. His shoulders ached and leaked - the bleeding had lessened considerably but he would also be in a lot of pain tomorrow if Vien had put the same salve over his shoulders.

“Clothes can be replaced, _ you can’t _ . I don’t want to put you at any risk.” He shifted, lightly massaging Vien’s hand with his own fingers. “I can come back tomorrow and bring some of the medication we have for aches and pains - put some on your hands and work your muscles, it’s the least I could do.”

“I’m not so certain that your medicines will work on me.” Vien hummed softly, allowing the man to hold his injured hand without much protest. Far cry from when they’d first met, the druid trusted in him enough to allow for this apparently.

“I’m not opposed if you wanted to come and run your hands all over me though,” Vien added cheekily, with a soft but mildly mischievous grin. “If that’s what you’re offering.”

The alchemist’s reaction was that akin to a stone statue as he held a very thousand-yard-stare-esque look on his face and idly looked down at Vien’s hand. If he was going to be cheeky about it then he could at least toss back what was served - to a degree. It was still all too unfamiliar.

“But… I don’t get to touch your ears still?”

“Oh, you meant to work the muscles in my ears did you?” Vien responded with a soft snort, one of the ears in question flicking apparently at even the  _ idea. _ “Maybe you can touch my ears once you start  _ listening to me _ when I warn you off of things. Why are you so fascinated with them anyway?”

“Because it’s exactly like the river.” Tony peered over at them. “You obviously don’t want me touching them - therefore, I  _ need _ to touch them..." He trailed off;  _ maybe that wasn’t the best example. _

“You told me not to cross the river but that obviously didn’t stop me. My crusade will never be over!” He returned a hardened stare to the man right across from him.

“What I’m hearing is that you haven’t learned your lesson from all of this.” Vien accused, though he seemed both serious  _ and _ teasing about it somehow. After a moment the druid’s eyes dropped lower, settling on his chest and arm. A hand, numb and trembling only slightly, shifted down the alchemist’s chest to where a soft blue light shone gently, radiating something familiar.

There was a soft laugh from the alchemist. “Well not necessarily… I don’t plan on crossing anymore half-frozen rivers again.” He trailed off but watched the druid’s fingers drag linearly down his chest to his reactor.

“The edges look inflamed… is this usual? Should I take a look at this as well?”

“It’s probably frost bitten… it’s still a little cold but I can't imagine the metal in contact with my skin has really been to my benefit.” He let out another soft but much more tentative laugh this time.

Giving another soft noise of displeasure the druid shook his head and sighed, moving his other hand to join the first in forming a triangular shape around the device implanted in his chest before closing his eyes. “Stay still. I’ll see what I can do.”

It was a minute or two before a soft light emanated from his hands, the faint yellows and pinks of a sunset before warmth seeped through trembling fingers and into the alchemist’s chest around the affected area. The heat seemed to center in the empty space that formed a triangle, but as the druid’s fingers slowly fanned out across his chest the warmth spread and shot out through his form as though warmth was coursing directly through his bloodstream.

Vien’s eyes remained closed, even as he pulled his hands slowly away from their spot against his skin, fingers still splayed with his thumbs and index fingers forming that steadfast triangle before the light faded away and he settled his hands to his sides. The warmth however, stayed in place even when the man’s eyes opened again, flickering with soft flecks of gold and pink before settling back to their more typical grey colour. 

“Is that better?”

Antonio raised a hand to touch the afflicted area. The skin that contoured the metal piece felt somewhat tighter though with more time spent in the water that would solve itself. Any numbing or lingering pain had succeeded to a soft dull throb and he traced the marred and pocked flesh with a nod.

“Way better, it doesn’t sting anymore… Now it makes me wonder what else you have in that bag of tricks of yours.” The alchemist returned a wide-spread grin, letting his hands fall to the water.

“Thank you.” He stated, gaze averting somewhat contritely.

“Maybe if you keep sticking around you’ll find out.” Vien responded with a small smirk, before lowering his head again to press his forehead to the top of the alchemist’s. “Once you’re feeling warmer and more comfortable we’ll get you back to Home Tree and take care of wrapping your shoulders before we get you back to the meadow. I need supplies to fix you up before that and I imagine it would be both challenging to wrap on your own, and challenging to explain the wounds to others…”

There was a sort of electricity that seemed to spark as he felt the heat from Vien’s forehead bump his own. If possible, his cheeks flushed more red and he sank a little in spot. Everything of his predicament was coming right back to him and he had all these  _ very _ confusing emotions to battle with.

This druid was cute and attractive. But a relationship akin to this meant being burned at the stake if the village already hadn’t found out that he was involved with a druid no less.

He’d also only known the druid for a short amount of time - but was being treated like family, or dare he assume anything closer? Sure this was… a bit far reaching for a human-relationship, but if he looked at everything in terms of how affectionate an animal would be to it’s human - if Vien could be considered that - then was it really so outrageous? Especially since he’d seen a lot of avian qualities from him - had Vien imprinted on him? 

_... How did that even work? _

Antonio’s head was spinning and even with the prolonged exposure to the hot spring he doubted it was from the heat. 

“Hah! Yeah… I do think I need to return home at some point today… For both of our safety, as much as I trust your instincts. I haven’t alerted anyone in my village so the likelihood of a search-and-rescue coming for me would be highly unfavorable for both of us.” There was an edge of nervousness to the alchemist's tone but he was also very genuine. 

“I don’t want to put you in danger. I should head home tonight - but I’ll come back tomorrow so you can check on me and… I can check on you too.”

“I know. Besides… you’d freeze out here all over again. And I’d certainly prefer if we avoided that.” The druid smiled before pulling away and climbing out of the hot spring. He gave a small shiver - presumably at the much colder air outside the spring - and waved over the red cloak that bundled itself around him for a moment, drying him, before he began to dress again. The fabric seemed to dry itself shortly thereafter, hovering in place as though awaiting Antonio’s exit.

“Come along then. We should get to wrapping your injuries and get you on your way home before your people begin to worry.”

“Umm, Vien - buddy I think you’re forgetting. You totally shredded my clothes.” Tony sank under the water, the air made him shiver with every attempt to lift himself above the surface. “Humans can’t just walk around like that in this weather….”

“I didn’t forget.” He gestured to the hovering fabric rather pointedly. “Let it dry you off. It will clothe you and keep you warm. Once you’re home - to your own home - it will return to me.” Vien offered another smile to the man, warm and comforting as he stretched a little. “When you’re ready, climb on my back. I’ll get you back to Home Tree quickly.”

With that statement made the druid’s form contorted again and soon enough a rather large stag stood in the druid’s place, awaiting his companion even as a few birds that had stuck around began to migrate to his antlers.

The alchemist seemed a little unsure but as he saw the stag standing and looking at him expectantly he grit his teeth and stepped out to face the frigid cold of the twilight atmosphere.

He was immediately swept up by the cloak, it wrapped around him - a lot warmer than it looked. It covered him like a toga and then created a hood atop so the back of his neck was warm and insulated. Before he knew it he was fully clothed in a long-sleeved robe - and quite comfortably so. 

He climbed atop Vien’s back (after a couple hilarious failed attempts). The stag’s fur was warm and plush on his bare thighs. He dug his fingers into the long fur on its neck and lowered himself against the animal’s back to help with the resistance an upright posture would cause.

_ Vien was warm. Very, very warm. _ And he seemed to have caught a chill.

The creature awaited his settling, making sure he was safely in place before taking off into the woods at a rather swift pace. The cloak seemed to carefully adjust itself to curl around the stag as it moved, effectively holding the rider in place as the sights of the forest at night rapidly sped by. It wasn’t nearly so quick as the flight to the mountain had been, but it was considerably warmer and more comfortable overall.

As they reached the clearing that surrounded the massive elder tree that Vien called home, the massive beast chuffed a bit, breathing a little heavily before slowly laying itself down in the clover that surrounded them to make the dismount easier on his rider.

“Well...  _ that was a real ride. _ ” Antonio huffed softly as the cloak unwrapped itself allowing him to slip off of the beast’s back. His feet touched the ground and he stood, though a little queasy from the change in velocity. "You really know how to get a man's blood pumping!" 

He paused all of a sudden. “I hope… I didn’t get blood all over your cloak, my wounds are still weeping.” He sheepishly admitted as he gave the cloak a consoling pat.

The druid chuckled breathlessly as he retook his humanoid form, making his way towards the entrance of the tree and gesturing for Antonio to follow. “It’s more than capable of cleaning itself through magic. But even if it couldn’t - both it and blood are red. There’s nothing to worry about. Now - come on, let me wrap those so they’re oozing a little less and we can get you home.”

“Ooookay but alchemically speaking when blood dries it turns a darker shade, an almost reddish brown colour. You’d still be able to see it once the blood oxidizes.” The alchemist pulled out his ‘matter-of-fact’ voice even as Vien had been ushering him over to  _ sit _ .

Gentle hands coaxed him down and the cowl fluttered away leaving Antonio completely in the nude again. 

His arms instinctively covered himself, leaning over a bit bare. 

_ At least the tree was warm though. _

The druid gave him a rather confused look - though whether it was at his words or his actions it was hard to say. Gathering a couple of cloths, the man sat in front of the alchemist to carefully begin wrapping his chest and over his shoulders with gentle touches.

“Does… being naked make you anxious?” Vien asked after a moment, glancing towards the cowl again briefly as though he might summon it over, before returning his gaze to his work. The druid didn’t give him any of those lingering looks he might have received from other humans. “Or are you cold, huddling like that…?”

_ Right, that made sense. _

Vien had no idea about human customs, it wasn’t as though he lived among them.

“No… It doesn't it's just - yeah, yeah… It's a little breezy in here.” As if not to insult his host, this would apparently be a learning experience for Antonio. Of course Vien had no aversion to being in the nude, this was his natural habitat.

The cloak seemed to hover closer to the alchemist, idling as if torn between the alchemist’s words and the druid’s inquiry.

Vien seemed to contemplate his words for a few moments before scooting in a little closer, the heat that radiated from the druid now much more easily seeping in against Antonio’s skin as the taller man resumed his work, methodically continuing his wrapping process to be certain the wounds were entirely covered. 

It was still a few minutes before he seemed satisfied with his work, giving a soft hum of thought. “If you can make it tomorrow… I’ll change the bandages. If not it’s best that you at least make an effort to change the bandages and try to cleanse whatever might remain of the wounds tomorrow. Get out as much of the salve as you can if you’re taking care of it on your own, it shouldn’t remain on you for too long or it may discolour your skin at best, and at worst could cause blood poisoning.”

“I-I...” He started and looked at the druid rather nervously, he was slowly digging a hole for himself. He would deal with it.

“Yeah, I’ll be back tomorrow. You know a lot better about this than I do.” He trailed off, cheeks flushed  - if there wasn’t a heat issue before, there definitely was one now. Antonio seemed to flounder as he struggled to make things seem as natural as he possibly could.

“It’s likely that by morning the numbing effect will have subsided. Your back is in considerably better shape and it’s probably best of you lay on your back for the evening while things are healing or you may find yourself in severe pain in the morning,” the druid instructed quietly.

Stepping away he looked to the cloak again and it slipped forward to clothe the alchemist again, draping itself over his head, shoulders, chest and legs quite thoroughly. Vien took some time to look around his home and gathered a couple of other things - something that looked like foot coverings to protect the alchemist’s feet as he walked, the brooch that had been connected to Antonio’s attire prior to it being rather shredded, and the satchels that had been tied to his belt straps were all offered to him.

The alchemist pulled the cloak in closer as he watched the druid fuss around and gather all the things he needed. Of course the most important items of his attire had been preserved -  _ thank goodness _ , but at least he had some sort of substitute.

“I'm sure you’ll be seeing me first thing if it becomes unbearable.” He laughed softly and the cloak seemed to squeeze him softly. “I don’t think I can thank you enough for all this… considering what I've put you through.”

“Just… make sure you follow the river north next time, like I told you. I’ll show you the way now but it’s dark so I’m not sure how well you’ll be able to see what I’m talking about.” Vien sighed softly, before gesturing back towards the door and heading into the clearing. “Come on. Let’s get you back somewhere safe so your trip home won’t take so long. There’s plenty out there that would still be happy to pick you off for dinner… thank me by getting home safely.”

The alchemist nodded and huddled into the cloak, he followed after the druid’s gesture as he was led out from the tree and out into the brisk night air. It was way past any time he needed to be home, and there would definitely be people concerned about his whereabouts.

“As long as you aren’t putting yourself in harm’s way, I don’t want you getting into danger because of me. You said it yourself, you need to protect the forest.” He nodded softly to the birds perched upon his antlers.

“I won’t be flying and my deer form while larger than average is still not so much so as to draw attention, especially at this time of night. I can bring you to the meadow safely enough. From there it’s up to you to get home on your own.” Vien explained calmly. 

“I’m… afraid I also can’t get up again very well with someone on my back because of the weakness in my hands. It affects my forelegs so I apologize for the difficulty. But if you’ll accept their company - and likely even if you won’t - I imagine the finches will accompany you the rest of the way home in some manner or another. I’ll wish you a good night now as I’ll not change my form back once we reach the meadow.”

Offering one last gentle smile the druid’s antlers began to grow even as his form changed. It was a bit of an uncomfortable sight now that he was paying attention and the sounds of cracking could be heard now and then as bones adjusted in their places, shifting and changing until the rather large deer stood in place again, watching him and waiting.

“If you are going to have trouble walking, I think the cowl’s company and the finches will be enough. Don’t overextend yourself for my sake. I have two perfectly good working legs and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to freeze to death.” His fingers curled into the fabric and he nodded his head with a soft smile.

“You’ve done more than enough for me at this point, I couldn’t even begin to thank you properly.”

The hart dug at the ground with a hoof rather pointedly, before gently nuzzling against him and nudging him towards Vien’s body a little more. The cowl got the message well enough further tugging the alchemist back and encouraging him to mount the creature that continued to watch him, antlers slowly clearing of sleepily cheeping birds.

Antonio shook his head and refused, he placed one arm on the stag and wrapped it around his neck and urged him to walk forward.

“If your hands hurt then we’ll walk together. You can escort me home side-by-side. Don’t be silly.” He ran his fingers through the coarse fur, sliding his nails up along the thick mane to stroke him tenderly.

The stag gave a slight shake of its head and a quiet huffing noise before simply complying with the man and beginning to slowly guide him through the forest. The cloak provided warmth for the alchemist as they walked, seeming to warm further even as the night around them grew steadily cooler. Vien would nudge at him now and then to make sure his footing was careful in spots, or bow his head to allow Antonio to hold on to him in areas that were slippery.

They veered away from the path Antonio normally took, north along the banks of the river to a place where there were several tall, flat rocks across a shallower area of the river.

The alchemist was sure to use the stag as a support when necessary. He kept his one arm draped over the animal's backside for support regardless. He walked and stumbled through the terrain - it took a lot longer for them but at least this ensured Vien didn’t strain himself too much on the travel back.

When they reached the clearing Antonio removed his arm, giving the druid a few gentle pets to his neck, not sure how to necessarily bid his guardian farewell.

“Well, this is it. I’ll see you tomorrow - and yes I’ll avoid the river this time, I’ve learned my lesson.”

Giving a soft huffing noise, the stag pressed his muzzle against the side of Antonio’s face for a brief moment in some sort of greeting before turning away and making his way back into the treeline, clearly confident the alchemist could make his way home from there. 

Really, it wasn’t too hard from that point - woods he was familiar with, a trail through the farmlands and done. A couple of soft peeps sounded as a pair of finches flitted down from the trees to settle in amidst the cloak as sleepy sentinels to add to his oddly-sentient entourage.

Tony watched as Vien retreated, his hand dragging through the druid’s fur as they separated. He turned as the animal disappeared beyond his view distance and turned towards the town with his two newest companions.

“Thank you for walking me home.”

The small birds took a side of his shoulder as he made it into the town with safe ease. It was late enough that the only questioning he had was from the guards - who, upon presenting his crest of nobility didn’t ask another word.

He immediately went to his room, the cloak unfurling from around his shoulders as he went for a pair of undergarments and trousers to cover himself.

The birds made their way to his window sill from the outside of the house, doing their best to not make him look any more conspicuous than necessary, but chirping softly at him from there as the cloak hovered in its spot quietly. 

After a few moments it checked his bandages and waited for him to clothe himself again before touching his face gently with a pair of corners in some kind of greeting.

Slipping towards the window to join the birds, it gave a small wave of one of its corners and the birds and cloak all together disappeared off into the night sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	12. Déjà Vu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our sincerest apologies for the delay! Bravehardt - artist and cowriter of this story - was away on vacation and busy with a con, and Foxglove - cowriter of this story - has been busy running a company while someone _else_ is away on vacation, so editing and prep for Chapter 12 took longer than usual. Things will still be a little bit slow over the next couple of weeks, but hopefully not once-in-ten-days slow!

 

Over the following couple weeks Tony’s dreams had reached the point where they were becoming way more vivid than he had either expected or felt comfortable with.

He could recall in unforgettable detail his interactions with this person - er, thing - that reminded him so distinctly of Stephen and even made him _feel things_ he thought were his own emotional manifestations. He didn’t know, everything felt so real - he was lucid but he couldn’t determine if his feelings for Stephen now were actually his or that of a spell from a tome whose story had been lost to the ages - _as_ _Stephen put it._

His thoughts were put on hold as he was summoned to respond to a threat, everything had been so hazy he couldn’t even remember suiting up and flying out to Manhattan, fighting… _god only knew what it was_ \- but in the process he started to experience flashes of this past persona - awful depictions, and then memoirs of something forgotten. Deeply intimate moments between the alchemist and this so-called druid that wrung at his heart with a crushing grip - making him feel a sense of longing and want for something he didn’t have.

It was haunting - like something he once had, but had long forgotten and not to be obtained again. He was filled with a deep sadness, a cavity which resided and tugged him to the darkest recesses of his persona.

Tony took a blow to his left shoulder, distracted by whatever was worming around in his head. It was nothing lethal, but it left him struggling with the pain. He was bleeding a little more than was really good for him. Mustering the strength to press on, he straightened himself out and soon enough vanquished the threat he’d been combating.

The creature - god knew what, had been knocked out and caged - having Friday box the damned thing up while shield had been summoned to collect it.

Tony landed, the adrenaline his body had been running off had now subsided and he was struggling to find himself combating the light-headed and woozy sensations.

“Boss - you need to get yourself to a hospital, you’ve lost a concerning amount of blood.” He teetered under the weight of his suit as he tried to hold on to the side of a building to regain his bearings.

The world spun, and the ground was looking like an awfully good place to nap.

“Friday, take me to Stephen’s. It’s the next best thing... I’m not going to a hospital and the compound is too far.” He heaved, winded.

His words were soft and slurred.

Sure his shoulder didn’t hurt, but - _wow_ , that was an awful lot of blood.

There wasn’t any delay before he felt the suit override and switch to autopilot. It took off and he found himself launched to Greenwich like a human missile. He landed on the steps, still conscious but very light-headed and dizzy. He lifted a hand to knock on the Sanctum door and it opened before his metal fist hit the door.

Tony stumbled forward - quite comically as his fist hit the open space, taking his weight with him.

He then stumbled into the foyer, balance lost - he fell on his hands and knees with a dull metallic crash to the Sanctum floor.

“Stephen.” He slurred, trying to pull his knees in so he could at least sit up - but it was no use, he fell forward with no more strength in his arms, starting to bleed out over the tiled floors of the foyer.

“Tony?” the familiar voice spoke, puzzled at first, before a series of soft curses reached his ears and the doctor sent the cloak off with quiet instructions Tony could barely make out. “Tony… okay… how do we get you out of this suit? What happened?”

Stephen’s footsteps closed in, rushing to his side.

The cloak returned swiftly, setting a box of supplies down that looked like a large medical kit before shuffling over to clear the very table they’d spent the last couple weeks studying at.

It laid a sheet out over the wood before fluttering over to the pair on the floor and making the vaguest of efforts to try and lift Tony - suit and all and carry him to the table.

It wasn’t as successful as the cloak might’ve liked.

Tony weakly felt around for Stephen’s shoulder, arm or anything he could get a hold of. He was barely conscious but still seemed to have the fight he needed to try and assist with his own care.

The engineer weakly tapped the center of his chest and the parts of his suit dissolved into nano-bots which receded back into the housing on his chest. Immediately the cloak scooped him up, causing a very audible hiss to escape through Tony’s clenched teeth as the gash in his shoulder was agitated.

“Agh- Stephen… I… just got a little roughed up. Figured I’d…” The cloak deposited him on the table and he let out a loud yelp. The landing wasn’t very gentle. “-Thought I’d drop by… for some help.”

“I _generally_ prefer you not showing up bleeding all over the floor damnit.” The sorcerer hissed out through his teeth as he pulled on a pair of sterilized gloves.

“I’ll... have your floor cleaned for you - how about that?” Tony slurred in response.

Stephen had sounded strained - a little stressed out as he grabbed a pair of shears from the medical kit to get Tony out of his blood soaked shirt.

He sent the cloak off again to fetch a bucket of clean water, carefully pulling the fraying ends of Tony’s shirt away from his wound. Once Levi had returned with the bucket, he began to try and wash away as much of the blood from the wound as he could to get a better idea of what he was dealing with.

“A hospital would’ve been your best bet you know. This is a lot of blood…” Worry _bled_ into his tone as he spoke, rifling through the medical kit before finding the dermabond and setting that close by.

He then continued to look through the kit for something else.

“Fine… Point me to a better surface to bleed out on next time.” Tony wheezed, letting out strained grunts as Stephen dabbed at the open wound on his shoulder. “You were the closest I knew to go to - plus if I needed to get to the compound I figured I could just ask.” He hissed again, eyes starting to droop a little, but there was that quirky smirk on his face despite the severity of the situation.

“I’m sorry doc, I know I said it was going to be the last favour… The last time...” He rolled his head to the side. “Sometimes I struggle to keep my promises…”

“Ideally you wouldn’t be showing up here bleeding at all… I’d prefer you in good health.” Stephen grumbled softly, though he quieted for a moment as he continued to clean up and disinfect the gash.

“If you’d needed a blood transfusion, for instance, you’d be entirely out of luck here.” He added softly as he worked on disinfecting the wound and trying to keep his hands steady as he did before gathering the dermabond to start sealing the wound.

“When I’m _panicking about something already_ you’re not supposed to show up and affirm that the panic was well founded, you know. What the hell is this anyway?” The sorcerer continued, as though assuming the engineer was unconscious - or trying to give him something to focus on.

“How long ago did this happen? Friday?” He directed the question to the A.I. that he assumed would have a more concise answer as the liquid stitches began to work and bind the skin together where it had been split - fairly cleanly, _luckily._

“Just now Doctor, boss had been fighting some extraterrestrial - _what_ specifically, we don’t know but Shield is taking care of it and has it contained.” Friday chimed in, Tony wasn’t unconscious, just _resting_.

“I’m still awake here.” He mumbled with some semblance of mock annoyance as Stephen dressed his wound and fussed.

They were talking as if he wasn’t there.

“Yes boss, but it’s unwise that you waste your energy.” And with that Tony sighed.

_He had questions, and he needed Stephen to answer them._

“Clearly not just now as he’s been in my home just now. It’s been at least fifteen minutes since he was actively injured, hasn’t it?” The sorcerer seemed fairly certain of the answer to his question, but he asked it anyway as his hand moved to check Tony’s pulse briefly.

Sighing heavily he gathered a fresh cloth to start cleaning away the blood that was smeared across Tony’s shoulder, neck and chest, shaking his head. “Don’t get up. Just… stay put for a few minutes here. You’ve lost a lot of blood and sitting up suddenly isn’t the best course of action.”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here.” Tony huffed again weakly.

“Seven minutes, no more Doctor. It only took me about two minutes to get him here.” Tony wanted to move but Stephen’s command had promptly made him reconsider. His legs moved a bit as he got more comfortable on the table, staring up at the ceiling with half lidded eyes.

He felt like there was a literal tonne of bricks weighing him down.

“Levi, would you get him some juice? He could probably use some sugar…” Stephen shooed the cloak once more, before finally taking a seat beside the table and tugging his bloodied gloves off of his hand.

“I’ve got your sugar right here.” Tony snickered. Stephen frowned.

“I’m not ignoring your presence, Tony. I’m making sure I can get details from someone who _isn’t_ woozy and potentially incoherent from blood loss.” The doctor sighed again softly, shaking his head a bit further and looking distinctly thoughtful.

The cloak returned with a jug of apple juice and a large cup a few moments later and Stephen poured a glass before handing the jug back to the cloak to deal with. He attempted to try and give Tony a hand sitting up. “Take the whole sitting process slowly. If you feel light headed or like you might lose consciousness, let me know. I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

“I’ve _already fallen -_ ” Tony slurred.

Tony let out another groan and a string of colourful cusses as he attempted to sit up with Stephen’s aid. And, his head likewise swam despite the warning causing him to take a break as he grabbed his forehead.

“Yeesh, okay this sucks.” He strained out after he got up into a seated position, leaning against Stephen’s shoulder as he helped prop him up. Once he felt capable, he grabbed the juice, taking deep steady breaths before lifting the drink to his mouth.

“Thanks doc, what… were you talking about _panicking_ earlier?”

“I don’t want to call it a premonition… seeing the future is sort of a Time Stone-only event for me usually but… I don’t know. I got this overwhelming feeling of panic suddenly. Like a vice clamped down around my entire chest giving me the suspicion something had gone really wrong. That something bad had happened…” Stephen took a long moment before frowning.

“Specifically that something bad had happened to _you..._ And you show up not twenty minutes later, before I’ve even managed to shake the damn feeling, bleeding everywhere and just… collapsing on the ground like that. Geezus, Stark, what are you trying to do to me?”

A hand scrubbed over the man’s face for a moment as he took a few deep breaths and shook his head. “Not that it’s your fault. _Obviously._ I just…”

The engineer blinked his eyes slowly, lowering his gaze a bit considering looking up was causing him a degree of vertigo. He took another chug of the apple juice, a small smile tugging at the one corner of his lips as he flashed a gentle lopsided smile to Stephen.

_It was really nice to know that he cared._

“I’m fine now doc, thanks to your handiwork… got a bit distracted in a fight. I had a dream so vivid last night, it was haunting… And I kept seeing flashes from the book like a deja-vu… different parts.” He let out a deep breath.

The cloak returned in no time at all, draping itself over the engineer’s shoulders briefly before being shooed off of the injured shoulder as Stephen grabbed some bandages to wrap it now that the man was sitting, it was a little easier now.

“That… is far from ideal.” Stephen frowned deeply. “I knew you were having more dreams about this but… are you suggesting you were having some kind of waking recollection?” As he finished wrapping the wound the cloak settled back in place to keep Tony’s torso warm even as the sorcerer continued to display his agitation.

Tony nodded his head slowly.

“Yeah… It’s starting to feel like I’m remembering pieces of a life, like one I feel I once lived… It’s all so bittersweet. I’ve obviously never been through these events but the feelings are so intense when I wake up. I could recall vividly what happened from start to finish without missing a single detail, and I don’t need a dream diary to remember anything either.” The brunette's hands went to the cloak as if it was something akin to a habit now.

“That is clearly not good…” Stephen muttered lowly, his frown deepening before he shook his head and attempted to relax his face. “I’d… like to keep you here for the night for observation. I want to make sure your wound starts to heal properly, but also... If this is going to continue to persist as a problem it might be time to consider either taking a break from the translations or… even potentially to try and see what I can do about putting barriers in place to protect you from whatever the book is doing… maybe… stop it entirely…”

“I don’t think that’s necessary doc - I think I should be fine tonight on my own…” Something in him seemed to jump at the notion of putting up mental barriers. If anything, he wanted to let in more of that information, to discover what the book had in store.

“I also don’t think the mental barriers thing is necessary, I want to keep going with the book - find out what it is and how it ends.” He made an effort to move around so he could try to slide his legs off the side of the table to stand.

The cloak supported him as he stood, latching on around him carefully and prepared to hold the engineer up if necessary.

Stephen was quiet for a long moment, before dropping his gaze to the floor as his voice came a little quieter. “Tony… _please._ For my sake, _stay._ That feeling that… something’s not okay hasn’t gone away. I’m… worried something is going to happen, whether it’s your dreams or your wound…”

Tony froze - the tone unfamiliar and quite unusual.

He turned somewhat awkwardly to face him, the wound stinging with each movement. There was a crushing pain and anxiety when he heard Stephen plead - _he did that_ , he heard the doctor actually pleading him to stay and that tone almost broke his heart.

And since when did these feelings he’d developed get so strong all of a sudden?

“Fine- fine.” It still didn’t stop him from standing as he put an arm around the cloak for the offered support. “But I’m not laying on that table, I also want to get back to working on the book and you aren’t getting in my head unless it’s to dreamwalk.” He stated his demands boldly, staring the sorcerer down - although it was hard given the concern riddling the other’s features.

“I’m not going to go into your head without your permission for _any_ reason. And I’m not sure dreamwalking is the best idea right now given your state anyway - nor is trying to work on that book. Not today. You _should_ rest and recover…” But the way the sorcerer said those words made it fairly clear that he also wasn’t going to _stop_ Tony if he decided that was what he wanted to do.

“As long as you get some rest. I’ll grab you a sweater from upstairs if you’d like - your shirt was already torn anyway and I didn’t want to risk trying to get you to move your arm too much to take it off. Something that zips up should be fine though… And the couch is probably going to be more comfortable if you decide you _do_ want to study more. Otherwise I’d say bed is the best course of action.”

The brunette looked around before making his decision - a clearly missed opportunity at a jest regarding the shirt, but now wasn’t the time.

He probably should take a moment to rest after an injury like this. There was no way he was going to be able to sit comfortably in any position while his shoulder was so raw.

Tony thought for a moment.

“This… actually seems a lot like what happened last night.” Tony started as he hobbled towards the stairs. “I… injured both my shoulders in the dream last night, and just like now you patched me up - only in the dream you used druidic healing spells.” It was kind of freaky how similar these circumstances were.

“I’m sorry to say I don’t have any druidic healing spells,” The sorcerer responded, dragging himself to his feet to follow after the man. “Just some medical knowledge and super glue for the skin. But if there’s anything you need from home to make the stay more comfortable please let me know. I can gather it and make sure you’re… well, as comfortable as you can be given your state and the fact that you’re not in your own bed. Otherwise… did you want to talk about the dream…? Or we can discuss it after I gather things for you if you’d prefer? Or… not at all if you’d rather...”

“I think it would be a good idea to talk about this… It was, if anything, a _very intense dream_.” Tony towed his gaze away for a moment, there was an uncharacteristic meekness to him. He was finding it arduous to not draw parallels between his situation now and what he’d experienced in the dream. It was going to be hard to say what he needed to given the juxtaposition of his dreams and the harsh reality of things.

“Why don’t we do this first… worry about everything else afterwards…”There was a driving force which urged him to express himself, it was insurmountable and he wanted to talk about his dream, like something core and undeniable - a tale that needed to be told.

“Okay.” Opening the door to one of the spare rooms - not the same one Tony usually was in, for some reason - Stephen slipped in and gestured towards the bed for Tony to make himself comfortable at least. Slipping over to the closet, Stephen pulled out the zip-up sweater he’d promised and made his way to the bed to perch on the side of it.

“I’m all ears. What happened?”

Tony slipped the zip-up over his shoulders, careful not to move the bandages over the wound before he slowly lifted himself onto the bed with his good side with the aid of the cloak. He settled himself, legs outstretched on the top of the comforter in a semi-prone position letting out a deep breath as he relaxed.

“I had a dream about that druid again… but this time it felt like some time had lapsed in between. I was on my way home - me, being the alchemist took a short-cut the druid had forewarned me not to take.” He let out a deep breath, readjusting to put his shoulder in a more comfortable position.

“A river I was warned to go around but I crossed anyways… I foolheartedly thought the ice would bear my weight but it broke and I fell into the freezing water. A giant cardinal came and picked me up, carrying me away from the river - I thought I was honestly going to die. I thought at that moment that the cardinal would eat me but it didn’t. It…” Tony paused, not sure how to really relate that an animal had stripped him nude.

His gaze flicked to Stephen with the momentary lapse.

The sorcerer watched him with curiosity written on his face, clearly recognizing some of the things Tony was talking about in _some_ way or another. His expression was patient and open as he adjusted on the bed to watch him properly, bringing a leg up onto the bed and letting the other dangle over the side as he observed the man.

Stephen’s eyes flicked to one side to check on the injured shoulder, before he summoned over an additional pillow to try and provide Tony with some kind of extra support and even took the time to carefully reach to tuck the blankets over the engineer’s lower body. He then settled once more to focus his attentions on the man.

Tony’s heart fluttered at the care, especially when Stephen had designated himself to tucking him in. He continued his tale.

“The cardinal _stripped me_ of my wet clothing and offered its warmth to me. It was chirping at me and I couldn’t understand it until it began to change. But not like dreams shift, it was the druid in a more beastly form and chastised me for not heeding his words.” The brunette’s gaze flicked up to Stephen again and then to the side like an animal that had knowingly disobeyed it’s master.  “He... his name, I remember it now. _Vien_ , had brought me to a hot spring to warm up. He dressed my wounds and then joined me to use his body-heat to warm me further…” The engineer was unsure of whether he wanted to vocalize the next part.

“Body-to-body warming _is_ generally considered an effective method for helping to warm a body when there’s concern about hypothermia,” Stephen spoke lowly and quietly. There was a thoughtful look on his face, but he hadn’t descended into mocking or scolding territory thus far, despite the way his eyebrows had raised at his statement.

After deeming it safe the engineer continued with his recollection of the dream.

“There was… Some dialogue exchanged, it resonated with me in way I can’t even explain… I remember the entire conversation, word-for-word but what stuck out to me the most was this - he said to me _‘You took all this time convincing me to let you stay, you’re not allowed to leave me so permanently now. I don’t want to be alone like that again. It would be rather boring. I’d miss you.’”_ Tony felt his heart swell a little as he repeated the words he remembered so vividly, and then a sadness overtook him.

It was of his own volition that he chose to leave the rest of the intimacy out of the story, for both their sake.

“You don’t seem off-put by this,” The sorcerer noted, watching him rather carefully. His expression seemed a little clouded, as though he was lost in thoughts of his own and trying to conceal that. “You don’t seem terribly off-put by _any_ of this aside from the original stress and fear you were discussing. And that original stress definitely links back to some of your early dreams - do you recall? You didn’t want to cross the water. You said it wasn’t safe. And then it all froze over and you had no more hesitations about it… you simply crossed.”

Stephen sighed softly as he looked away, scratching gently at his beard for a moment before resting his hands in his lap. “And if the druid is also the cardinal, then that explains your sense of safety with it and it acting as a guide through the forest for you in those more abstract early dreams. But it doesn’t explain why these dreams are affecting you the way they are _now._ ”

“I think I did forget to mention though… when the cardinal picked me up it couldn’t carry my weight that well, that was another vivid point of contention…” He looked away from Stephen again "He said to me: 'I was frightened I would drop you - I’ve never carried something so large before in my talons and like my hands they’re damaged. I was so scared - I held tighter than I should have. And I hurt you.’”

Tony folded his hands in his lap.

“None of this bothers me because for some reason it feels like a part of my memory that I already knew… Like, nothing is out of the ordinary.” He stopped again. “Like I’m remembering this - it actually happened.”

Stephen fell silent. His hands twisted together some before he tucked them out of sight between his knees and dropped his gaze to the floor looking… ashamed? It was an odd expression on the man’s face that only lasted briefly before he dragged himself to his feet in order to mill about the room, gathering water from the attached bathroom, digging through the closet for an extra blanket to lay over the end of the bed, seeming to visibly fidget and attempt to distract himself.

“Like déjà vu…?” He finally inquired quietly. “Like with my tending to your wounds as you indicated?”

The both of them almost seemed uneasy at this point but it didn’t hinder Tony’s admittance.

“Exactly that… Like it’s happened before and it feels so familiar. I mean - obviously I got myself into trouble here but-” He was at a loss for words. “Yeah…”

“And that was what distracted you during the fight? _That_ ...” Stephen hesitated, “ -that _memory_ we’ll call it for now.”

The water was placed at the bedside, the blanket draped across the end of the bed and then the sorcerer was left to hover in his spot, fidgeting oddly before stuffing his hands away into his robes as though uncomfortable with them being openly on display.

“And you still associate the druid… with me…?” He added quietly.

“Yes…”

In a way he felt like he was the alchemist once again, being verbally lambasted by the druid after making a dire mistake that would risk his well-being. He knew it was all a concern for him, but that’s where reality and dream seemed to split.

The libido drove Tony to stubbornly bite back - this _couldn’t possibly be all of his fault? Right...?_

He didn’t _ask_ to be riddled by memories all of the sudden, intruding amidst battle…

“ _To all of it_ , yes.” It was a definite answer this time with no question of any part of it being undecided.

“Tony… is that what you _want_ to hear from me…?” The sorcerer asked after a moment, standing at the side of the bed with his hands hidden and his eyes settled rather firmly on the blanket. His tone was soft, gentle and non-accusatory, but there was something to his face that seemed oddly nervous - as though his body language hadn’t spoken enough for how anxious the man seemed to be.

“... is that… what you want _from me_?” That question caught the engineer entirely off guard.

On one hand, _yes_ \- if he was being truly honest with himself. That is what he wanted to hear. But he was sitting in Stephen’s guest room, crippled and it wasn’t like he could really do much. So he would damn-well beat around the bush.

“I- Stephen, it was a dream. I’m not making any of this up. This is… How it happened. You said it yourself, the book is putting things in our heads…” Though, he didn't believe that for some reason.

”Of course.” The response was quiet and cool, and Stephen stepped away from the bed after that, turning to gather a few things from a chest of drawers to one side of the room before pausing near the door.

“Is there anything you needed from your place, or to otherwise be comfortable here for the night?” His tone was different when he spoke again, no longer soft and quiet, but back to a casual and calm professionalism.

Tony shook his head in response. The sweater around his shoulders would do the trick but the more Stephen spoke the less comfortable he felt in the sorcerer's presence and even felt like he wasn’t welcomed in the Sanctum. He felt oddly isolated, like he’d made a grave mistake with his admission - or his failure to. But he wasn’t going to lie about it, Stephen - although their sessions had ended - was still a doctoral figure.

_But he had in a way..._

"I should be good."

Stephen gave a small nod and something that vaguely resembled a smile as he opened the door into the hallway again. “If you need anything… send the cloak. Please try and stay in bed as much as possible while you’re recovering. I’ll be back to check on you in a couple hours. Get some rest.”

Without another word, the man stepped into the hallway and closed the door again behind him, leaving the cloak bundled around Tony gently.

 

 

* * *

 

The tightness he’d felt in his chest earlier - the tightness that had begun to ease as he’d gotten Tony settled - was back with a vengeance. A heavy weight settled on his chest that he couldn’t simply remove even as he fought hard to breathe and ground himself.

He dropped to his mattress on his back, forcing his eyes open, locating things to help him focus - the clock on his side table ticked away slowly, the rich brown and gold comforter that settled on his bed and under his hands, the wooden beams of his bedroom’s ceiling, and the equally warm brown of his curtains drifting in the breeze.

It helped some. Not enough, _but some._

It didn’t stop the voice in his head. It didn’t stop him from recognizing what he’d done - what he’d _almost_ done.

He’d been so hopeful for a few minutes there. Knowing Tony associated him with the druid, and what had sounded like odd fondness in his voice as he reminisced about his dream… Stephen had been so easily swept up in the thought that maybe he had enjoyed the idea. Maybe it was something Tony had wanted… maybe it was something _they_ could have had…

He knew better. He’d always known better.

He’d known better since he was a child, long before he’d ever had a thought in the world about Tony Stark.

He knew better than to act on his errant thoughts. But for a moment - a brief, beautiful moment - he’d thought maybe they were on the same page. He’d thought perhaps Tony sharing his dream in such detail meant something _else_ ... that he was trying to convey something _more_...

Because Stephen Strange was a fool.

It was just his dream. Tony had voiced it out of a desire to discuss the correlations between the book, his dreams, and how they both were affecting him. Stephen was the one who had made it personal.

His heart hammered in his chest despite his attempts to calm himself, he tried to pick out individual tactile sensations next to focus on, something to get him _out_ of his head, only to immediately recognize his panic had led to tears streaming down his face.

He was… _crying?_

 _Fucking hell_ this was stupid. How had he gotten himself into this state?

His chest was tight, his hands trembling far more than they usually did, and he could feel in his stomach a tightening and loosening sensation that almost made him feel as though he was trembling in the cold.

But he wasn’t cold.

He was sad. Angry with himself. _Hating_ himself.

Not cold.

He knew Tony was a flirt. Men. Women. He assumed Tony had likely flirted with their alien acquaintances as well. What did it matter to him if he flirted? He doubted it made much difference for someone like Tony, who was a smart enough and charismatic enough man to get away with that kind of thing. Stephen had known better than to let it get to him weeks before when they’d gone for dinner.

So what had changed? How had he allowed himself to get this _close_ to everything? How had he allowed himself to get so close to _giving up_ what he’d held on to for three decades? Why had he even _considered_ it?

He knew the answer to that.

_He hated the answer to that._

He was well and truly falling in love with Tony Stark. Like some young starry-eyed foolish dreamer, he was imagining impossible things with a man who only ever committed himself to one person other than himself in his life. And Stephen Strange and Pepper Potts couldn’t have been more different if they’d tried.

Stephen needed to stop this. He needed to get his head out of this place it had been in, to deal with these problematic feelings before he really did fuck things up beyond repair. It wouldn’t be the easiest thing at first given he had to deal with the way the book was affecting Tony’s ability to live. The dreamcatcher wasn’t warding away the effects of the book and Tony didn’t want him placing barriers in his mind to protect him, so he had to find another way out.

He considered the option of burning the book - destroying it - but he knew that was his hurt and frustration speaking. There was no guarantee that would help or _change_ anything. It could just leave them stuck without any means of getting rid of Tony’s waking dreams and then he would’ve destroyed a potential source of lost knowledge on the druids in the process.

He dragged his nails across his face, allowing the sting of it to focus his mind in on something, trying to make sense of what he was going through as he dragged himself into a seated position, scrubbing away the wet tracks that ran down his face and taking a few deep breaths. He didn’t know how long he’d been there in that state. He didn’t know how long he’d been struggling to breathe. He felt light headed as he sat hunched in his spot, missing the cloak rather desperately in that moment and instead yanking a heavy blanket up and around his shoulders in an imitation of that weight.

Eventually he pulled himself to his feet, dragging a chair along with himself to his window and rather forcefully shoving the curtain aside before sinking into his spot there, chin settling on the window sill as he stared outside at the city lights and tried to let the fresh air wash away his guilt, fear, and pain.

He couldn’t fix things if he wasn’t thinking straight and when it came to Tony… apparently nothing _about_ him wanted to think _straight._

He needed to clear his mind. He needed to focus. He needed to _breathe._

The soft thud of feet came soon as Tony restlessly plodded into the room. The door had been open - wide open, so he apparently felt it appropriate to join the sorcerer, taking a seat on the side of the bed as the cloak immediately flew to Stephen’s side at an almost break-neck pace.

Tony had likely gotten restless after an hour laying in bed, there wasn’t really much to do in the Sanctum and it wasn’t like he had any of his projects that he could tinker with. Naturally, the engineer would go wandering about the Sanctum in lieu of finding some sort of entertainment - or Stephen perhaps.

Although with the cloak’s help he wasn’t wandering blindly and almost as if there was a second sense to the man he’d come just at the right time as though there was a magnetism between the two men; it wasn't quite there before but it was very much present now.

“Couldn’t sleep.” He mumbled casually to the sorcerer as he took a seat. “You feeling okay Stephen?” He inquired softly; the cloak was taut around Stephen’s shoulders.

The sorcerer didn’t move from his spot, staring out the window with his face hidden away, chin resting on the sill and cheek tucked against the side of the window frame. The blanket remained draped around him, clearly stolen from his bed, but the man didn’t respond at first. Eventually a shoulder raised and dropped as though in a shrug, but he didn’t turn to face his guest.

“I can put you to sleep if you want. You shouldn’t be up and about, all things considered. But I suppose I shouldn’t have expected you to listen to me.”

The sorcerer’s voice sounded exhausted and a little hoarse, but the only acknowledgement he gave the cloak was to reach and pat it gently before his hands fell back into his lap. Tony was bound to know something was wrong, if it wasn’t the cracking in the sorcerer’s voice it was likely clear enough in the way his posture sagged against the window sill.

“What’s wrong?” Stephen could hear him getting up and slowly making his was over, a hand gently resting on the sorcerer’s shoulder. The engineer's voice was uncharacteristically gentle and held a heavy intonation of concern.

“... Stephen?”

It took everything in his power not to flinch away from the touch as he closed his eyes, his hands moving in short gestures to allow an illusion to cover the remnants of his breakdown from his face.

No more tear tracks, no more bloodshot eyes, no more small scratches from his nails. He took a deep breath before he sat up and finally turned to face the engineer, shaking his head.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired,” he lied.

He _was_ tired, but he was also fairly confident that wasn’t what Tony was asking about and the cloak seemed less than satisfied with the answer based on the way it flared out around him.

Stephen ignored it.

“I’m not sure how best to make sure you’re not caught up in these flashes of whatever they are during the day, but after some thought it might be best that you take a break from working on the book for a while. Have a little space. I’ll take a look and see if I can’t find any other instances of magic causing daydreams like you’ve been experiencing and if there isn’t some way to stop that from happening.”

It was so much easier to simply deflect from himself, drawing himself to his feet and allowing the cloak to put the blanket back on the bed before settling itself on his shoulders again as the sorcerer gestured to the chair. “Let’s take a look at that shoulder, shall we?”

There was something in the way Tony kept his hand on the sorcerer’s shoulder, the nuances of his posture and movements that implied _he wasn’t buying the excuse_ , but any evidence of the sorcerer’s lack-luster condition was covered up so there would be nothing for the engineer to go by if he chose to pursue the issue further.

“Yeah sure…” Tony tentatively lowered himself at Stephen’s side, shuffling around onto the chair as he let the sweater slide from his shoulders giving Stephen access.

The doctor was quiet as he worked, unwrapping the bandaging and checking the area for any inflammation or signs of infection.

The feeling that something was going to go wrong had passed, either buried under his current anxiety or gone entirely because whatever he’d been panicked about had come to pass. Maybe the whole issue had just been that _he_ was going to fuck things up. Maybe his concerns had been a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“It looks okay so far. Whatever I was concerned about was… probably just residual concern from whatever happened earlier. If you wanted to, you’d probably be fine to head home.” Stephen stated softly as he sent the cloak off to gather fresh bandages with which to redress Tony’s injuries. “If not I think I have some topical salve around somewhere that should minimize whatever pain your shoulder is in, and by this point I think we’re fairly clear that I’m capable of putting you to sleep. A good night’s rest is as important for brain health as body health.”

“You said it yourself doc - you’re tired. And It’s probably better that I head back to be in my own environment for recovery considering you want to shelve the book for now…” Tony trailed off. He closed his eyes as the final dressings were applied to his shoulder.

Once he was all cleaned and patched up, he rose to his feet, flexing his shoulder slowly.

“You get yourself some rest doc… maybe when things lighten up and I’m all better we can get back to work on that book. There’s nothing worse than an unfinished love story.” He laughed softly, flashing Stephen a soft smile.

Stephen couldn’t bring himself to smile in response, so he simply shrugged lightly. “Maybe, but there's hardly a rush on it. Can I offer you a portal home? It’s probably for the best that you aren’t flying in your state…”

As for him? He was about as done with love stories as he could get. Perhaps someone at the London Sanctum would have more luck with the book… perhaps it was a torch to simply pass on. He didn’t have to handle _everything_ on his own.

… Right?

The cloak flitted itself between the two, watching both with some degree of uncertainty. The moment it attempted to crowd them together, Stephen took a step back and out of the cloak’s reach, turning his gaze on the cloth.

“... you can go with him if you’d like. I know you know how to get back.” _If it wanted to return._

No… that was wrong. He needed to get that thought out of his head and quickly. The cloak wasn’t going to _leave him_ for Tony… he was reasonably certain.

“Thanks doc, that would be a real help.”

Tony waved the both of them goodbye, seemingly stuck in spot for a moment. He looked like he wanted to stay but rather he turned around to leave instead.

“I’ll bring your sweater back the next time I come over - sorry in advance if I get any blood on it. Rest up for me, will ya?” His smile faltered a bit as he stepped through the opened portal, a second glance behind him and Stephen sealed the portal shut without delay.

Stephen was quiet for a long while after sending Tony home. He didn’t bother with dinner before he slept, feeling sick to his stomach and wholly and unequivocally _wrong_ as he allowed the cloak to curl itself around him and carry him to bed, smelling almost too much like the man Stephen was trying his damnedest to convince himself he wasn’t in love with.

Or at least that he could _pretend_ he wasn’t…

The illusion of all of it melted away as his arms wrapped tightly around the cloak. He curled into a ball on the bed, a small burst of telekinesis used to firmly close the door as he finally and simply allowed himself to dwell in his misery, though at least this time he didn’t feel as alone as before.

The cloak had chosen to stay with him… and he couldn’t find himself feeling anything other than grateful for that as he slowly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	13. Nio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's updates involve guest artists! Hooray! We love you guest artists!
> 
> Featured below is some beautiful art by [Quere (Twitter Link here!)](https://twitter.com/quere_vvv) of the druid and the alchemist - absolute cuties that they are! If you like the art, please make sure to send them some love!

 

The harsh winter had parted way to the call of spring. 

Paths once obscured by snow now left exposed as the blankets of white melted away to expose the hidden treasures and fauna slumbering beneath it. 

The equinox had passed and the days were now growing longer than the nights, allowing the alchemist to visit his druid for longer periods of time within the days - and from there, they would only get longer.

What started out as an intrepid venture to quell one’s curiosity had evolved into a daily routine to sate both the druid and alchemist’s desire to see one another by each day. Learning his lesson from the last time, Antonio would take the long route to see his companion, passing by farms and steads until he’d eventually reach the sacred barrier warding trespassers from the forest in which he once-upon-a-time was quite crafty in figuring his way around. 

He passed unhindered each time, his destination always the same, and each time the doors to the tree his companion resided through would open, welcoming his presence.

As he approached the base of the familiar tree, there was something off about it. Brambles and thorns barred his way from reaching his desired destination and a lopsided frown sullied the man’s generally happy disposition.

“Hey Vien - is this your doing? Are you trying a new spell out - buddy?” Antonio gave the brambles an appraising look, large enough to be a challenge to pass for the weak of heart.

To Antonio though?  _ This was a challenge. _

Weeks spent in the company of a druid yielded tricks inherited from one skilled in traversing the forest. He’d learned to soothe the plants and fauna and destress roots to a degree, but usually in the company of the druid. 

Rather than taking that route though, he scaled the brambles almost with ease as if the barrier hadn’t been truly erected to keep him out - as if it was simply a passing thought or a even a statement.

Antonio ventured through the massive winding roots into the den, the trees and forest smelling of fresh growth and just as likely the aroma was intensified within the great hull of the very source.

Once in, he found his friend curled up in his nest of clover deciding to take on his rather majestic cardinal form. 

“Hey, Vien - what’s up with the crappy barrier, are you feeling alright?” Although the question was asked - he didn’t need a vocalization from the druid to know the answer.

_ He could simply feel it within his gut, like  it was another sense. _

The bird’s feathers ruffled when his name was called and he gave a soft trill but he didn’t regard the alchemist, in fact furthering his isolation by tucking his head under his wing.

Antonio rolled his eyes and approached. “Alright, spill it Vin.”

The feathers ruffled further as the massive bird shifted in its spot, not bothering to untuck its head even as the small finches the druid often nurtured came to greet the alchemist with cheery cheeps and nudges, looking for birdseed and crumbs. 

The druid didn’t so much as lift his head from his spot, uttering a quiet chirp into his wing, his crest flattened and downcast.

This behaviour was  _ distinctly _ abnormal from the other, who generally was quite happy to have the alchemist visit - usually prepared for him with an assortment of fruits, nuts and berries to try even during the middle of winter, but all the more so since the land had begun to thaw. 

Vien had been particularly affectionate of late as well, seeming to mind much less when the alchemist touched at his hands or face, though in his humanoid form there was still a fairly distinct antlers-are-for-birds-only policy.

_ The alchemist sighed. _

“Oh come on, what’s eating you? Usually I at least get a hello from you when I visit.” The alchemist removed his own fur-rimmed plaid cowl so he was in his tunic and sash. He opened up a small sachel and scattered the floor with birdseed and bread as per his usual ritual. 

All the little peepers that had been jumping around on his shoulders and nipping at his hands and cheeks playfully scattered at once to fly to the ground and eat their share of the snacks.

There was a moment of silence that gave no indication to what Antonio was about to do, but in a moment he practically dove into the clover nest, worming his way under the cardinal’s right wing and crawling under the plumage of red feathers to try and get the druid to move and look at him.

There was an indignant and surprised squawk as the bird’s crest lifted and Antonio crawled underneath the bird’s stomach like he was spelunking in a cave, swimming through red feathers until he found the animal’s head which Vien had already withdrawn from his little wing-hideaway to look at him with an unreadable expression the alchemist could have only taken as annoyance.

“Talk to me.” He wrapped his arms around Vien’s neck so he couldn’t move away.

Feathers ruffled once more and finally the bird spread his impressively large wings giving another quiet pair of croons before fanning at him slightly with the large wings, as though attempting to free himself. The druid was clearly making no  _ true _ efforts to escape - if he’d wanted to it wouldn’t have taken him much to take off completely to go sulk in unreachable parts of the tree instead. 

When all the magnificent display of flapping earned him was a firm look from the alchemist the appendages were tucked away again and there were a series of uncomfortable crunches and pops as the druid abandoned his bird form entirely to simply stare at Antonio with an expression that looked distinctly downtrodden.

In all the wrestling and romping the alchemist managed to roll the druid over so he was straddling him.

He was now peering down at a very sullen looking Vien which was not normal, Antonio likewise was concerned at the words that came out of the druid’s mouth.

“Why are you here? The brambles were meant to keep you away… you need to stop coming here.”

Antonio shifted so he was straddling the druid’s chest, not letting him go or move around.

“What? Those brambles really weren’t much of a barrier Vin.” He gave the druid a small smile. “What’s gotten into you, did I do something wrong?” He inquired softly.

The druid didn’t protest, laying on his back even as his cowl spread out across the clover in a relaxed manner of its own. He simply watched the alchemist, sad but steadfast as he shook his head.

“You... belong with your people, Nio.” Vien stated softly, his brows furrowing briefly even as his hands moved to rest atop the other man’s, not moving them or even grasping them, simply laying with fingers splayed across the hands on his chest. “You have obligations to them. They’re waiting for you… and you’ll be safer with them.”

His gaze softened as he watched the alchemist’s face, giving a quiet sigh. “When I said I would miss you… that you weren’t allowed to leave me permanently… I didn’t mean to make you feel as though you had to keep visiting me. I didn’t mean to keep you away from your people. I… don’t want you to be worried about making sure I’m not alone. Not when you have _ people  _ waiting for you.”

The alchemist kept his hands in place as the warmth from the druid’s palms sunk into the tops of his own. He wore an incredulous look as if Vien was speaking another language entirely to him.

“I do worry that you’re going to be all alone; I want to be here, I’m not coming because I feel an obligation to.” Antonio scooted a little closer up his chest and slipped his hands out from underneath Vien’s to take them in his own, brushing his thumbs over the tops of his fingers so tenderly.

“Where did this come from - what happened? Why the change on me all of the sudden? This is unusual for even you.”

The druid remained silent for a time as though contemplating his response, before finally giving a quiet sigh, his ears twitching back a little further and brushing at the clover beneath his head. 

“ _ Your mate is waiting. _ You should be with her. With family.”

The alchemist's face scrunched up at the mention of a ‘mate’ and he reached up and grabbed the sides of Vien’s face to cup his cheeks. His heart sank with that crestfallen expression, so entirely weak in the face of the druid's downcast demeanor.

“Mate? I don’t have a mate, or wife or whatever you think it is I have.” He focused hard trying to think on what the druid could have possibly been referring to. The tips of his fingers brushing through the soft furred base of Vien’s ears.

And then it clued in, the  _ arranged marriage _  - the duchess his family had been trying to pawn him off on.

“Vin, I’m not married, that’s all societal malarkey and I won’t be playing any part in it. I’ve been dodging that bullet for years and I think at the end of the day I should have the right to choose my partner or ‘mate.’”

“She… didn’t win your affections?” Vien asked tentatively, his ears twitching a little at the touch but his expression hopeful and curious. Having been alone as long as he had Vien clearly hadn’t learned to temper his reactions - or hadn’t learned of a reason to - as he might well have been the easiest person to read Antonio had ever met and wore his heart on his figurative sleeve.

“My house has been trying to marry me off for years, I don’t even know the lass. It’s all for the sake of some messed up political system. In our traditions, as weird enough as it sounds there is pressure from our families to marry yourself off to other powerful and rich families...” He brushed his fingers through the tufts of hair on the side of the druid’s face and continued to hold that soft smile.

“It’s the main reason why I choose to come here and spend less time in my own village, and more with you.” The alchemist let out a sigh. “Cheer up Vin, you’re going to melt my heart with that sad look of yours. I know it’s spring, but only the snow’s supposed to go.” There was hesitation as Antonio debated if he had the courage to say what he wanted to possibly verbalize next.

“But I can’t provide you with any of those things…” Vien responded with an expression of confusion. “I’m rich in knowledge and powerful in magic, but that’s about as close as I get… I couldn’t provide for you per your peoples’ traditions…”

The alchemist let out a soft sigh, he took a moment to consider his next words carefully, bowing his head down to press his forehead to the druid’s temple and closing his eyes.

“Maybe that’s not exactly what  _ I’m _ looking for in a mate.” He closed his eyes letting his hand slide along the druid’s cheek and down to the dip of his neck with a gentle caress of the palm.

He’d been deliberating what he really wanted in a life partner and while the suitors presented to him by his house were all fine and well - he simply didn’t have feelings for any of them. But the man in front of him was someone he connected with, cared for and even loved. Vien was near and dear to his heart.

Nights of contemplation kept him awake as he thought long and hard about it and what it meant for him in the long run. 

Eventually the alchemist had decided that the answer was simple: Vien made him happy, and he wanted to be happy - so what other considerations were there to factor in when that was the ultimate goal? No amount of gold, power or influence could ever change that feeling for him.

Vien rested his head against Antonio’s quietly, his arms slowly wrapping around the man that was huddled on his chest as he took a few deep breaths. 

“You would still be  _ safer _ with your own people…” He spoke softly, running a hand gently along the alchemist’s back. “You wouldn’t have to sneak off and back… you could have offspring… are you not looking for those things?”

“I think I already have enough kids to look after, like I need anymore...” Antonio nodded towards the birds still frenzying away at the seeds and crumbs he’d tossed on the ground. “And - what, you don’t think you could protect me oh  _ great guardian of the forest _ ?” He taunted, opening his eyes to give Vien a determined look. He relished in the feel of those fingers running down his back, each point of contact leaving a trail of prickled gooseflesh in its wake.

The druid’s expression was soft and gentle as a small smile settled on his features. He left one hand on Antonio’s back and brushed the other lightly over the alchemist’s cheek for a moment as he gave a soft hum of thought.

“I can only protect you if you are in the forest, Nio. Do you mean to stay here with me?”

“That would be the idea, yes… I would have to make up a story to tell my family but... Yes.” There was another long pause before Antonio leaned down and pressed his lips against the druid’s for the first time.

He could have possibly only dreamed of this moment up until now, a mere fantasy to this point - made reality. Right now, his mind was completely blank as he focused on the man underneath him and enjoying the moment, living in the  _ now. _

There was a gentle movement amidst Antonio’s hair, though Vien’s hands remained rather clearly - though more firmly - on his back and cheek. The druid made a contented noise into their kiss as his hand pressed into the fabric of Antonio’s tunic and curled in place to hold him close. Soon enough the ends of the cowl came to wrap around him as well, leaving the pair rather well tangled together in the oversized nest that functioned as the druid’s bed.

Antonio turned his head to press his tongue in, their mouths mingling in a slow organic twisting and turning as the alchemist pushed in and deepened the kiss. There was a soft yelp from him as he felt the red fabric pin him in against the druid’s musculature - but solely out of surprise.

His hands moved, one resting on the floor beside the druid’s head while the other explored the druid’s hair, weaving his fingers into the grey and dark brown mass around those soft fawn ears.

The druid’s ears lay back in a certain tranquility, twitching every so often attentively as Antonio offered soft noises. He was cautious and alert for any signs of displeasure in the alchemist, but otherwise simply seemed to indulge in the comfort and sweetness of their closeness.

Perhaps the druid had been waiting as well and who was to say how long? Sometimes he simply seemed to know things that made little sense for him to know - like with the betrothal. Perhaps this was something he’d known as well in some way? Something he’d waited for?

The little birds that had taken up collecting seeds and crumbs from the ground slowly eased away, finished with their fussing and allowing the duo to have their space but the cowl showed no such desire to leave, providing warmth and a certain blanket-like shelter within the tree that was soothing and comforting to a point - though it did seem rather insistent about fussing with the alchemist’s hair.

Antonio opened his eyes, pulling away from the kiss and letting out a stifled chuckle as the cowl’s fussing had sparked a ticklish nerve. He raised a hand to lightly bat at the red fabric with a soft smile.

“Hey! We were having a moment here!” He teased without a single sense of indignation to his voice, more of a cadence of playfulness on the contrary. Regardless, he towed the red fabric in and tucked himself into the space between Vien’s neck and shoulder. He listened to the soft thumping of the druid’s heartbeat, wrapping an arm around his chest.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to be your mate.” He murmured sheepishly into his skin, the admission was muffled and shy. “If that wasn’t clear before…” He let out a soft breathy huff of amusement.

The druid gave a quiet grumble as he curled both of his arms around the man atop his chest, and the cowl gave no signs of remorse as it wrapped around the pair in turn. “I thought you were going to leave. I was… not sure I could say goodbye. I’m sorry I tried to keep you out…” Vien murmured softly into his hair, giving him a gentle squeeze.

“I want you to stay. Always. But I only wanted that if you  _ wanted _ to be here as well… if you’d  _ chosen _ me… not out of some sense of duty, either… so if you’ll allow me, I will be very much the proudest being in all existence to call you my own.”

“And you, mine.” Antonio peppered a few gentle kisses to Vien before finally pulling back to stare down into his crystal grey-blue eyes. He let his chest fall slowly against the druid, allowing the other’s body to keep him propped up.

“My choice was fully my own, for my benefit - something that makes me happy. The nice thing is… What makes me happy also makes you happy as well.” He murmured softly.

“ _ Mine _ …” Vien murmured happily in response with a little smile and a nod. 

His heart was so full and he felt like he was becoming a part of the forest here, spending time with Vien in his company… and the way the roots under his fingers felt so natural as they  _ grew over his hand and- _

_ Wait. _

Antonio had a peculiar look on his face as he looked off to the side to see small sprouts of emerald green vines slowly growing around his arm. Their patterns snaked along the vibrant blue light-veins  as if reaching up towards his reactor.

“Ummm…”

Vien followed the alchemist’s gaze when he noticed the expression, and chuckled softly. 

“I think the Home Tree accepts you, too…” The druid took a moment before reaching between them to tap the device embedded in Antonio’s chest gently. “It’s a part of you as well. And if you’re coming to stay… coming  _ home _ ... I’m sure it’s happy to have you back.”

The gentle tapping on his chest sparked a very warm feeling, the soft ‘tink, tink’ of Vien’s claw against the rune-engraved metal ring sent a soft shiver down the alchemist’s spine.

“I… guess I am home.” He laughed softly trying to shake his hand free from the roots. It was a little more of an arduous task as he tried to make sure not to pull them out or tear them. “So I guess I’m forgiven for that hole I blasted into it those few months back then huh?”

“Oh no, I still demand recompense for that. I’m thinking payment in kisses.” Vien assured him with a smile. “I spent a lot of time and energy repairing that hole and had a very cold home in the meantime because of you. Luckily my wings are warm.” He huffed in mock indignation as he patted the cowl affectionately.

“I should show you how to manipulate those so they’ll release you if that’s going to be an issue,” he added as he glanced at the vines and started to reach over himself, his hand radiating a soft green light as he tried to unwind the roots from around the alchemist. “Or… Nio are you injured?” Grey eyes flickered with soft green light as he refocused his attention on the alchemist with sudden worry.

“No? Maybe - there’s a few cuts from climbing over the brambles but I’m fine Vin.” He moved his arm away as the roots slackened, able to slip his hand from the bindings. He only held that broad smile as he gently put a hand on the back of the druid’s neck to gently rub at the hackles of hair there.

“And kisses, I can do.” His chest flared with a sudden softness and he leaned in to peck the druid on the cheek to reassure him.

“Good. I’ll need a lot of those kisses. Maybe I’ll even give you some back…” He hummed playfully, nuzzling lightly at the alchemist’s cheek in turn before bowing his head a little further to press a gentle kiss to his jaw and neck, burying his face there and wrapping his arms around Antonio once again.

“I feel… giddy.” Vien murmured in his spot, holding the other tightly. “I… was so sad… and now I’m so happy. It’s rather a jarring change.”

“I’m glad you are happy, being with you always makes me feel like that all the time.” Antonio teased, he chuckled softly as he was assaulted with kisses peppered onto his jaw. An arm came up to wrap around the back of his head and he let out a soft sigh, running his fingers through Vien’s mane.

“I’ll probably have to kiss my way out of the deficit so I can start getting them in return - is that how this is going to work?” He let out a soft noise as he felt the druid’s lips on his throat, swallowing a lump and letting out a strangled groan which was  _ rather unexpected _ .

Vien gave a pleased noise at Antonio’s groan, chuckling softly. “Yes… I do think that  _ is _ how it’s going to work. It’s okay. I’ll take payments a little at time…”

 

* * *

 

There were no brambles the next time Antonio visited. There were some surprises awaiting him however - surprises Vien seemed very pleased to show off.

The stairs that made their way up the hollow of the tree weren’t a place he’d been invited before, but this time the druid rather excitedly gestured for him to follow and led the way to what apparently was a second floor of the druid’s home - and based on the staircase, there were several other floors. The alchemist’s interest had been piqued as soon as he’d been lead up the stairs, wondering what could have possibly been up the corridor. They didn’t climb any higher however as a long curtain of hemp was brushed aside to invite the man in.

“A room for you.” The druid clarified with a smile.

It wasn’t exactly fancy, not by human standards, but it was clear some effort had gone into the bed that took up the majority of the room. It was different from the one that had been settled on the main floor without much care. The wood that surrounded it nearly looked like a bed frame made of small entwined branches, with tiny but colourful flowers sprouting all around it decoratively. There was some sort of large, fluffy looking mattress (if it could be called that) settled atop in the branches, along with another large cloth that looked like the drape - but bigger.

Realistically it was fairly empty, but for a couple of small wooden carvings and some sort of a vase full of flowers that Antonio suspected were still alive. Candles of beeswax seemed to be fixed to a mock-chandelier made of large antlers hanging in the middle of the room - easy enough to reach for lighting.

The room was a very pleasant surprise and to say that Antonio had been nothing short of awestruck at the newly discovered room would be an understatement.

He took a moment to take it all in, not sure what to say as he looked around, then to Vien again. Slowly, he took a step inside, running his hands along the bed frame and lightly touching the accentuating flowers in the room. He ran his hand over the makeshift mattress and drape and then looked to the antlers.

The all around ambiance of the room was perfect, organic and calming. Faint earth tones mixing with the vague aromas from the flowers which weren’t too dull nor were they overpowering. The entire room smelled of a field just after a fresh rainstorm mixed with a hint of woody spice. It was wonderful.

He stayed quiet for a moment, having a hard time formulating words with how choked up on emotion he was at the moment. After a long pause he turned to the druid with a smile and padded up to him.

“I honestly don’t know what to say… It’s… amazing...” He took a few slow steps before he pressed up against Vien’s chest, resting his head on the druid’s collarbone and closing his eyes.

“Thank you, it’s... perfect, in every way. It’s more than I could have ever asked for.”

“I… certainly hope it’s not  _ more _ than you could have asked for. There’s always more I’m happy to give you…” The druid responded with a soft smile, curling his arms around the man and giving him a gentle squeeze. “In fact… there  _ is _ a  _ little _ more still, if you’d like to see…?”

“What? Vin… This is so much already.” He gave the druid a hearty squeeze around his midsection. He nodded his head against his chest, his heart swelling with both excitement and fondness for the druid. “What else is there to show me?”

“How can it be home for you if you don’t have all the things you need to make sure you’re happy?” Vien inquired lowly, petting the alchemist’s hair gently. “You need a safe place for metalworking… where you can have…  _ fires _ …” his voice cracked a little as he said the word and held the man a little tighter, “and… work in a more suitable environment. If… you’d like to see it… we’ll have to head upstairs again.”

“I figured having you would be enough. It’s not always about the place but the feeling you have towards something and I know I have that enough here.” He mumbled softly but slipped his head out of Vien’s grasp so he could look up at him and also  _ actually _ be able to walk.

He took Vien’s hand and squeezed it gently, allowing the druid to lead the way.

“I don’t want to deprive you of any of the things that make you  _ you _ , Nio. That means making sure you can still craft. One day… I want to be able to watch you work on the things you’re so passionate about… instead of just hearing about them.” Vien offered a warm smile as he started to lead the other man up the stairs once more.

Apparently the stairs continued on a good way up the tree, and they bypassed five more floors that he got only brief moments to inspect as he was led further up. The pinnacle of the home displayed a tall doorway that seemed to lead nowhere. It was formed of intricate vine work that displayed many familiar knots and runes, but as it was the top of the tree it was hard to determine what it was meant to do or how this was supposed to be any safer than anywhere else.

The druid led him towards it before slipping behind him and gently guiding Antonio’s hand to a spot on the vines. “Touch here. Think of a doorway… or what a doorway might look like… concentrate on it.”

Antonio did as he was instructed. He shut his eyes and placed his hand atop the vines. In his mind’s eye he envisioned a corridor, rounded at the top like an archway, almost with a woven stone arch covered in leaves and vines.

“Alright, what now?”

“Now imagine it opening.” Was the only response he got in return as the druid continued to stand behind him, waiting patiently.

Antonio imagined a portway, the door shifting open to reveal an entrance. He felt the surface his hand was placed upon start to shift and disappear slowly.

“Hmm… that’s what I thought.” The druid sounded rather pleased - a hint excited even - as he pressed a gentle kiss to Antonio’s cheek. “Go ahead. Open your eyes. Let me show you your workshop…”

The alchemist opened his eyes to find that the wall of the tree had vanished, exposing exactly what he had pictured in his mind.

_ Okay, that happened. _

He stared on, confused and baffled as the druid’s lips left his face and he beckoned him to follow.

“Vin, you’re full of surprises..."

“ _ Magic, _ ” the druid corrected, “I’m full of  _ magic. _ I told you precisely what I was bringing you to, didn’t I? It’s hardly a surprise - unless you didn’t believe me…?”

Guiding the other into the large stone chamber an odd light began to shine along the walls as they passed as though it sensed their presence. When Antonio ventured further into the area, the light brightened still further from the walls in a series of symbols and lines before it became apparent that there were a pair of pathways available - and Vien headed to the right without hesitation.

“It seems that you have plenty of magic in you as well. I didn’t help you open that door… that was entirely you. And I didn’t make the door… it’s been there for longer than I’ve been alive. To the best of my understanding the guardians of many ages past made it. Each generation of druids added to this place in their own time, bringing their families here, allowing this place to grow and adjust as it was needed… but now, if I’m the only one left and unable to pass all of this on to my children, then the best thing I can think to use this place for is a safe place for you to work as well.”

Antonio turned his head as the patterns on the wall had somehow manifested in the same shapes the veins from the reactor had. Linear lines that snaked in symmetrical pathways, some organic others rigid. They crawled up and down the walls like rivers or vines, collecting in the center of the room in a round motif inlaid with different animals and druidic symbols.

As he walked further in, the lights illuminated the same blue his reactor did, lines following him on those maze-like pathways as if he was the source of a power that the lights in the wall were responding to.

This was unlike anything he could ever fathom, the intricacy of this massive chamber. It felt so ancient, so full of mystery and at the same time safe and familiar. It was an odd combination of feelings but he felt at home here, like he’d always belonged.

“Vin… this place is amazing - it’s a dream… You’re  _ a dream! _ ” He reached over to the wall and trailed his fingers over the course stone.

“I assure you I’m nothing of the sort,” Vien chimed, though there was a fairly clear smile in his tone as he turned again and descended a flight of stairs, lifting his hand to rest it on a wall that seemed unusually placed. 

Not unlike Antonio had done before, the druid closed his eyes for a moment and the outline of a massive pair of double doors showed itself - a vibrant orange colour springing to life as though burning through the stone, before steadily rumbling and opening into a large chamber that looked for all the world like a smithy made for giants. To the left was a large forge, currently unlit but stocked to one side with large pieces of dried timber and beside that a smattering of coal and kindling. To the other side of the forge were a variety of bins with different types of ore, ready to be refined when needed.

It wasn’t a challenge to look around the room and find the various pieces of forging equipment needed to continue doing a lot of what he’d been doing at home. Various kinds of hammers, chisels, tongs, fullers and hardys were scattered about the room, looking as though they’d been touched just yesterday - perhaps they had if Vien had prepared all of this for him, though it seemed like an impossible amount of work for the druid to do alone - and a slack tub large enough for any size of work he was working on. Heck, he could have a bath in the damn thing if he wanted to and still be perfectly comfortable.

A massive worktable occupied the wall directly opposite the forge, covered in a variety of types of charcoal, parchment and ink, as well as a scattered assortment of other tools meant for more fine metalworking. A distinct red feather lay across a clean sheet of parchment the tip clearly fashioned into a quill of sorts and there was no denying that it was one of Vien’s own feathers.

There was a flood of emotions as Antonio walked around the workshop inspecting every aspect of it.

Just when he thought he’d seen it all, he hadn’t even scratched the surface. Every tool, workstation down to it’s finest detail was all so lovingly crafted and considered for him. He felt something stir inside him and in a moment he’d fallen to his knees on the stone floor, covering his eyes for a moment as he felt hot tears sting at the corners.

_ He was crying. _

He couldn’t handle how perfect everything was, how wonderful Vien was, how he could ever come to meet and gain the love of someone so pure and caring, so full of love and affection that he put his entire life on hold to make sure the alchemist could comfortably integrate fully into this new lifestyle.

It wasn’t going to be an easy trip, no matter how determined and enthusiastic Antonio was - but this made it so much better, so much easier and he knew Vien would be there to guide him into this journey every step of the way.

“Sorry I just…” He took in a heavy breath, voice shaky, words weak and broken.

“... are you okay?” The druid’s voice was soft, concerned but not judgmental as he knelt beside the smaller man and curled his arms around him, carefully pulling the man over and into his lap. “... I hope… those are happy tears? But if I’ve made you sad, please tell me how I can fix it. I just want everything to be perfect for you. I don’t want you to have any regrets about staying with me… you mean the world to me, Nio.”

“It’s perfect, everything is perfect - you’re perfect. More than I could ever ask for… more than I deserve.” He wrapped his arms around Vien’s neck and shook his head, laughing softly at the druid. “These are happy tears.” His breathing evened out and he squeezed the taller man in closer.

It was adorable how much he cared and how much they didn't understand each other. How all of their traditions were so different, their lifestyles but both were willing to go the distance for one another.

_ And that’s what mattered. _

“Or maybe  _ I’m exactly what you deserve. _ ” Vien responded with a smile, nuzzling the man’s hair happily and holding him even as the room continued to light up with magic.

“I love you, Nio. I promise to protect you and provide for you anything in my power to provide… and to cherish you in a way that will leave you with no doubts in your life that you mean everything to me.”

“You're the best thing that’s ever happened to me… I love you so much.” He was getting teary-eyed again at hearing those admissions and poor Vien was subjected to the soft wet patting of tears rolling down his shoulder as the alchemist tried to hide his face away. He couldn’t get any closer to the druid if he wanted; he had the poor man in an iron-tight hold.

The druid held him and rocked him until he settled, but even then didn’t let him go, keeping his nose buried in the smaller man’s hair.

 

* * *

 

It had been a week since the alchemist had abandoned his classic lifestyle and settled in with Vien. He’d left his life of luxury in his village to venture a more spiritually and personally fulfilling lifestyle. There wasn’t any hesitation in the decision and he was adjusting well to his new way of life day-by-day.

The smithy was proving to be, as ever - perfect. He had his workstation and his druid within arms reach (well, almost) and lately he’d considered their future together. There was a desire to get closer now that their lives were so  _ entangled _ and he was ready to finally pledge himself spiritually and otherwise to the druid considering they had basically made their vows to each other.

Antonio hadn’t been in the forge all afternoon. Working in the morning but disappearing shortly as the evening came around. Both he and the cowl had remained absent until the two ended up showing up to invite Stephen away from his work. It was the first storm of the season which meant Vien would predictably be inside, and as Antonio showed up with the cowl he made sure that when Vien turned to find him he’d realized that was just about  _ all _ the alchemist was wearing at the moment as soft footfalls made their way over to the druid working away at his table.

Wordlessly, he came up behind the druid, sliding his hands over his shoulders and gently massaging the base of his neck. He knew Vien was busy working on wards and tirelessly so without respite for a while.

And so sparked his idea.

“Vin, you need a break. You’ve been at that for the past few days...” His voice took on a more inviting cadence, a hint of playfulness yet still a degree of shyness as his fingers traveled up to the base of the druid’s ears and lightly rubbed them.

The druid gave a gentle grumble of contentment as he leaned back a little letting his head loll forward as his partner returned and gently prodded at his neck and ears. “Mmmm, you’re home. Where have you been all afternoon you two? I missed you…”

Shifting in his seat Vien began to turn in his spot to offer the other a kiss in greeting, only to come up short as he took in the rather flattering way the red fabric draped over Antonio’s delightfully sunkissed skin, his smile warming considerably at the sight. 

“I take it my wings are keeping you plenty warm? Is the weather warming up enough for you to be dressed like that? I don’t want you getting sick…” Despite his predictable concerns, the druid’s arms slowly wrapped themselves around his alchemist’s waist, slowly nudging the cowl aside enough to rest his face in against his partner’s stomach.

Antonio let the fabric fall away, winding his arms around Vien’s head and cradling it against his stomach as he wrapped him in a delicate embrace.

“The weather has warmed up considerably - you’d know that if you stepped away from your work for a moment and went outside.” He murmured softly as he leaned down to press a kiss into the spot between his majestic antlers. They’d grown quite large, almost a third of the size since they’d met and almost seemed unwieldy on the druid’s head.

“I thought it would be nice to bathe together… outside, in the rain. There’s a chill in the air but the weather is considerably warmer, enough to be outside.” He trailed off running his fingers again through that black and grey tangle, letting out a small chortle as Vien nosed at his stomach.

“A bath?” The druid inquired softly from his spot, not  _ entirely _ unaffected by Antonio’s nudity but at least as casual about nudity in general as he tended to be. “I suppose that  _ would _ be warmer if done together… And I  _ have _ been outside. There were fledglings two days ago I was helping with.”

His arms curled in and under the cloak around the other’s waist for a moment as he pressed a couple of kisses along the alchemist’s stomach, dragging his nose there and closing his eyes with a pleased smile before slowly releasing the other to climb to his feet. 

“Alright. A bath then.”

Antonio took the druid’s hand in his own and led him through the hollow and out of the great tree’s entrance. They walked through the roots that arched around like giant serpentine beasts, the soft mossy ground and clover padding their feet. The alchemist was intent on leading them to the spring, towing his mate along by the ends of his fingers when he stopped beside a small concealed area where the rain still seemed to cascade down through the canopy above. 

He turned to him, a hand to the druid’s chest as his face turned heated and he decided just exactly how he would verbalize his request.

“Vin…” He started, dragging the flat of his hand from the druid’s collarbone down to his sternum. “Before we bathe…” He looked to the cloak unsure - picking his words which still he couldn’t articulate.

“I want you to take me… here, now. We’ve waited long enough… I want you to make me yours, claim me.” Antonio looked up at Vien, sheepish, as if he just said something he’d possibly expect the druid to deny. They were partners, mates, lovers though. And any drawbacks the alchemist had projected would have stemmed from his old societal rules.

That didn’t apply to him anymore. The bright smile on Vien’s face was proof enough of that. 

For as old as the druid was - and  _ how _ old he truly was remained rather a mystery - there was a distinctly childish delight that blossomed across Vien’s face. His hands slowly shifted to cradle the alchemist’s face, looking carefully into his eyes as though he might find a hint of joking or fear in his face, before bringing his head a little closer to rest their foreheads together.

“Right here?” The man asked softly. “This spot in particular?”

His forehead remained pressed against Antonio’s and he made no real ceremony of removing his hands to undress himself. It wasn’t as though it was a terribly complicated process for the druid to undress given some of his challenges with small steady motions of his hands, but as he dropped the clothing to the side he proved his hands and arms still strong enough to pull the alchemist firmly against his body in a rather tight embrace.

“I don’t want to wait any longer.” He breathed, blooming with an enkindled heat for the druid’s expressed passion and excitement. The red cowl fell away from his shoulders and left Antonio exposed to the elements as the cool raindrops fell and stung at his shoulders. His smile found its way back to his face and he relished in the skin-to-skin contact.

It was a welcome contrast against the druid’s hot form. He was exposed to both the wilds and his mate, vulnerable in the best way possible. They were alone together, not to possibly be disturbed by any man or beast because unlike in his village, here Stephen was the king and the forest was his kingdom.

And Antonio was merely a transient, settled to stay, who’d won the king’s heart.

“It doesn’t matter where, I just want you right now.” He breathed, his hands eagerly peeling back any leftover bits of Vien’s attire. 

Once he had the druid stripped of his garments, his hands searched over his form - something he’d had the chance to do on occasion but not nearly indulging to this degree. They smoothed over his form, exploring his bare figure before settling around his hips as he resigned to being calm and resting in the man’s hold.

“Then I won’t make you wait.” The druid agreed with a certain heat to his tone as much as his body. 

 

* * *

 

 

Stephen awoke staring at the ceiling with an erection he didn’t want to acknowledge. Over the last three nights he’d grown steadily more unsettled by his dreams and now there was no denying the effect they were having on him. He was dreaming of fucking Tony Stark - and he wished he felt worse about it.

Despite the cloak attempting to cuddle up to help with his not-so-little  _ problem _ the sorcerer waved it away as he dragged himself to the bathroom for a cold shower - he’d done enough, the last thing he needed was to give the thing between his legs any  _ more _ good ideas and frankly he still felt a bit uneasy about being intimate with the cloak again with the knowledge that Tony had been as well. It was just too much fuel for his already rampant imagination.

He didn’t want to sleep anymore. He didn’t want any more of those dreams. He didn’t want to feel like he was somehow doing something  _ foul _ that someone who had almost been a friend would’ve been opposed to. He didn’t want the emotions that were welling up inside of him for the man. 

He wanted none of it.

He forewent tea that morning, instead getting himself focused with espresso, bringing several cups of it with him as he got back to work in the tomb. He needed to stop all of this. He needed to stop it for Tony’s sake, and he needed to stop it for his own.

Tony deserved to go back to his old life without all the complications of these dreams. He deserved to sleep peacefully, free of this nonsense.

He deserved to stay safely as far away from Stephen and his insidious desires as possible.

That meant figuring out the book and putting an end to this mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've officially finished the main story and are just writing the epilogue right now in case anyone has been wondering. There will in fact be 19 chapters + epilogue. Given our original outline said it was going to be 12 chapters, this got much bigger than we anticipated!
> 
> Thank everyone so much for the feedback so far! You've been great motivators all of you!
> 
> There'll also be a new _[Outtake Chapter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465832/chapters/44801554)_ from this.
> 
>  
> 
> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>    
> [Amy (Foxglove)](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral (Bravehardt)](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	14. Once Upon a Dream

As the week steadily progressed Tony had mostly kept to his own devices. There was a lot to figure out in the coming days since the dreams started getting more intense and he started to question the integrity of his own feelings.

Who knew that going to Stephen for a simple dream-therapy session all those weeks ago would result in it being the catalyst for some monumental change in his own life?

At first, the engineer thought that staying away from the Sanctum would have resulted in the problems going away - but that simply wasn’t the case. It almost seemed to have the opposite effect where as the distance between the two grew, the intensity of the dreams only increased.

He’d woken up from the latest installment in his ‘episode’ if it could be called that. The first two nights he was able to pass them off easily, they were short and sweet until the final night was the breaking point for him.

_Literally, it broke him._

How bittersweet it was to have these feelings he thought were his own, injected into his own head, made to feel like they were something of his own manifestation when Stephen had vouched that these were the intricate workings of the book.

Though, at some point he did have to question whether it _really_ was the book or if Stephen’s hypothesis could possibly be wrong.

The dreams had brought them closer in more ways than one: they were spending time together decoding ancient texts, dreams, symbols and motifs and it was safe to say that the dreams or the book weren’t entirely to blame.

Nightmares were a factor in play long before the dreams had started to meld with him and ‘afflict’ him, his nightmares of world ending destruction were _nothing new_.

In his gut, he had the feeling that somewhere and somehow these dreams were once a reality - a story lost in time waiting to be told, waiting to be remembered.

What if it came with the price of feeling intimate with someone he _already_ had considerable feelings for?

_Would that really be so bad...?_

And rather than dreading the bittersweet taunting of the dreams in which they provided events and circumstances where he quite literally could have only _dreamed_ they’d happen - should he have been celebrating?

The engineer ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

Stephen had taught him many things during their sessions, patience was one of them and so was the acceptance of the abnormal. Anything was possible and the dreamscape might honestly be a method that had been untouched by modern sciences. This could have potentially been a call to something greater and to ignore such an opportunity would have been folly.

One thing was for sure though, he needed to talk to Stephen. His heart leapt at the idea, anticipation at the thought of seeing the sorcerer again. He was confused but also a willing participant in the book’s grand design and he could and would learn to welcome its chronicles with open arms.

Without a warning he suited up and went to the Sanctum, his heart full, giddy with anticipation as he landed on the steps. The doors opened as they always did with welcoming arms and allowed him passage.

Wong simply stared curiously at Stark, a donut in hand as the doors opened.

“Stark?” He tilted his head.

“Wong, long time no see. I was starting to think _you didn’t exist._ ”

“Yes, I’ve been away… I’m assuming you are here to see Stephen; he’s been holed up in his room since I got here. You won’t have much luck coaxing him out.”

“I’m sure I can manage.” The nanosuit disappeared into its housing unit and Tony walked up the stairs towards Stephen’s room. “Thanks, I’ll probably be able to drag him out. We have things to discuss.”

Wong simply nodded his head, he didn’t question it, watching the engineer retreat up the stairs towards his sorcerer companion’s quarters. Tony didn’t bother knocking - throwing caution to the wind he barged in and looked around trying to find Strange.

_He wasn’t there._

But what was there was a gaping amber portal. It hung open in the air and Tony dared to venture through it. He poked his head in first, looked around before stepping through with caution.

“Stephen?” He called, looking around - it was dark and he had no idea where he was. It appeared to be some sort of cave, or dark stone room. A temple maybe? He had no idea, the terrain was unknown. Even Friday couldn’t give him a definitive answer to where they were as their signal was lost to his satellite.

“Hmmm...” He proceeded with caution. There was a familiar feeling about the room though he knew he hadn’t been there before and as he ventured forth the walls of the room began to light with energy.

Rows and lines of lights snaked through the room illuminating the stone where the lines intersected into the middle of the room like glowing rivers.

A large circular motif, surrounded by animals of all varying types, depictions of creatures, man and beast alit with life. As he moved and walked, the light followed, dimming at it’s farthest reaches and he was simply awestruck at what it could possibly be.

Tony spotted a candle-light in one of the corridors and he began to venture forth, hoping he’d find what he was looking for - _that damned wizard._

“Stephen!” He yelled again and waited for a response.

“You know this place echoes, right?” Came a rather groggy, irritated sounding voice and after a moment the sorcerer appeared around one of the corners, sipping at something that smelled curiously… _coffee-y_.

It was hard to tell whether it was just the lighting in the place or something else but the sorcerer didn’t look particularly well. Moreover, he didn’t look well _rested_ in the least. His grey eyes seemed to find the bursts of blue around them fascinating enough and rather than so much as offering any kind of appropriate greeting, the sorcerer finished off his drink in a quick motion before shifting forward to examine the lights on the walls.

As he approached the patterns became more intricate, blue and orange markings in the wall mingling to display a much larger picture as the sorcerer hummed softly to himself in thought. Even his movements seemed slow and haggard as he did, and as a hand reached into the air behind him as though beckoning something, a book - _the_ book - made its way to his hand, leaving him to flip through the pages some in thought.

They’d only translated about half of the book, but Stephen was far beyond where there had been written word before, instead looking at some of the various images and diagrams that were nearer the back of the book, turning the book some and following the patterns on the wall for a moment past Tony without so much as a glance in his direction. Looking for something, and… ignoring him?

The engineer squinted - he would have made a comment about the sorcerer ignoring him but Stephen’s well being was a much greater concern than his ego at the moment.

“Stephen… You look like… You look awful.” Tony commented, moving closer to him to get a better look, the both of them illuminated by the multicoloured lights of that mingled. He then noticed the sorcerer was drinking coffee rather than tea and let out a deep breath - concerned.

“What’s going on here, where are we and… why are there orange lights now…? There was only blue before.” Tony looked up at him, momentarily losing sight about what he’d come here for.

“Mmhmm.” The sorcerer disregarded the comment about how he looked with a shrug of indifference, before stepping further away from the wall and allowing the matching colour on the wall to dissipate, then stepping closer again rather pointedly as the lights came back.

“The blue is actually the new one. I haven’t seen these markings while I was awake before…” He murmured, his words very nearly slurring together for a brief moment as he looked down at the book again. “Matches things here… so you must be real then. That’s… hm.”

The cloak came bolting around the corner after a moment to rather excitedly embrace the engineer with considerably more enthusiasm than Stephen had shown - really it was like night and day, given the way Stephen sighed and shook his head at the display, starting to head back down the hall he’d come from.

“Doesn’t this place look familiar to you at all…?” He inquired as he walked, apparently not _dismissing_ Tony’s presence.

Tony was nearly knocked off of his feet when the cloak collided with his chest - it was like a miniature torpedo. He curled an arm around it - he hadn’t been paying attention before but it all came rushing in like a flood of emotion and his eyes went wide with realization.

“Stephen…” He was overwhelmed with so much all at once - Stephen’s well being and… this was _the room_ , the atrium of their private sanctum from the dream which housed the forge. _His_ and Stephen’s _workshop_. Or, well the druid and the alchemist's at least.

“This is theirs… this place, this is the forge, and the study.” He looked up incredulously at the sorcerer as if having a hard time actually believing what was happening right now. And before he realized it - it dawned on him and his arm tightened anxiously around the cloak.

“You dreamed it too then…”

“I can’t access the forge. Or the library. Or the study. Or anything else…” Stephen responded as he came to a stop at the end of the hallway, gesturing to a large door that barred the way any further. “So all it is is a series of long passageways and an altar of some sort. And the lights and markings on the walls… which are hardly enough to read by, but… sufficient.”

The sorcerer took a seat in a place he’d clearly furnished himself. An untouched cot stood to one side of the large hallway and a few empty cups of coffee sat atop the desk Stephen had sat at. He settled the book on the surface as he reached for another cup of espresso, his free hand holding a glowing amber light at the tip of his finger over the pages to analyze them.

Tony walked up to one of the doors and ran his hand over it, lights sparked from his touch but what drew his attention more was the setup Stephen had here.

From the looks of it the sorcerer had walled himself up in this place for a while now - as if he was sleeping and eating here.

“Stephen… have you been living here? Answer at least one of my questions for god’s sake.” Tony’s cadence took on one of extreme concern as he looked up into the sorcerer’s tired eyes.

The man gave a heavy sigh as he looked at Tony briefly. “Why does it matter? What are you doing here, anyway?”

“We need to talk. About the dream… and I know _you know about it._ But first you need to get some rest Stephen.” Tony looked up at those tired eyes with defiance. “You are two steps away from falling over from exhaustion.”

As though to directly scorn the man’s suggestion, the sorcerer took another long sip of his espresso. “I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about it. And I certainly don’t want to _sleep._ For both of our sakes, these dreams need to _stop._ ”

Tony released the cloak and grabbed Stephen’s wrist, and in one quick motion smacked the cup out of Stephen’s hand with the other hand. His grip was tight enough to stop the sorcerer but not enough to hurt him.

“This book is driving you mad, why won’t you sleep? You’re going to kill yourself doing this.” It may have been a bit of an overstatement but by the crazed look in his eyes, Tony wouldn’t put it past him. " _I care_ what happens to you, even if you don't..." Tony's voice grew quiet. 

“If you won’t rest, then we need to talk about this now. The dreams.”

“I _don’t want to dream about this anymore!_ ” The doctor responded, his voice rough and broken as he did, staring at the hand holding his wrist. “And I don’t want _you_ to be subjected to all of this! You think I’m killing myself, but I’m not the one going through dream-related déjà vu and winding up _bleeding everywhere!_ ”

The voice that had been low and calm with exhaustion before suddenly became considerably more frantic as Stephen continued on. “This, _all of this,_ is hurting you! And yes, it’s driving me absolutely _crazy_ because what… what _is all of this anyway?_ ” His free hand ran into his hair and then covered his face entirely. “I’m trying _so hard_ ... to just _fix_ things… I’m trying to…” He trailed off.

“... but they’re not just dreams at all, are they…? And I don’t know… what to do with all of this…”

“Stephen…” Tony trailed off, he reached over to grab the sorcerer’s other hand, holding both of them in front of him.

“If anything these dreams have helped me… sure, I was confused at first but have you ever taken a break to consider maybe they could be something more…” He trailed off in a very soft tender voice. He stared up at the sorcerer with pleading eyes, soft and full of concern. ”Is this place not proof enough?” He took a long pause.

“Please… rest, for me… and Levi.” He gave Stephen’s wrists a gentle tug towards the portal as if trying to coax him over. “We can talk everything out, I’ll be here for you - just like you were for me. We both will.”

“I’m starting to think you aren’t having the same dreams I am.” The sorcerer bit out as he shook his head firmly. “I’m not sleeping. I don’t think I could sleep right now even if I tried, and if I did sleep it wouldn’t be anything restful enough to make a difference, between the dreams and the espresso and that was _very much the point_.

“And yes, I have most certainly stopped to consider they might be something more. Why do you think I’m here, with a full awareness of what this place _is_ relative to the dreams? I’m not sure that helps. If these are memories then… all the more… what am I supposed to do about them? And _why are they happening now?_ What does the book have to do with them? _Whose memories are they?_ And if they’re… if they’re _our_ memories somehow… _how_ and _why?_ ”

“It might seem crazy, but all the facts point to this being something involved with us… This might if not just involve me, involve you as well. I don’t know how and I can’t explain it - but that’s probably why we have this book.” Tony persistently tugged at his wrists again. “At first I thought it was just coincidence, I questioned this… these feelings too, but eventually I just stopped. There are too many variables that coincidence alone can’t justify.” He spoke softly.

“You don’t need to sleep - but at least lay down, get some rest… Your body is exhausted...” It hurt Tony almost physically to see Stephen like this, he could almost feel the pain the sorcerer was in and he just wanted to help make it all go away.

“Don’t make me force you, I know that Levi and I together could make that happen with both of us here.”

He didn’t ask any questions, tugging himself well enough away from Tony to lay his body on the cot, and in moments he seemed to be unconscious before he broke through some kind of barrier that shattered in an oddly glass-like manner as his rather ghostly form made its way back to the desk and seat, flipping through pages.

“There. Body resting. _Happy now?_ ”

Tony was startled by seeing Stephen in this state but given what he’d already been through it wasn't as hard to accept as one would think. “No I’m not, you can’t keep doing this to yourself.” He sighed but he walked over to the cot and took a seat beside Stephen’s unconscious form before looking up at the projection.

“What did you see, what did you dream that was _so horrible_? What would make it so you didn’t want to sleep Stephen?”

For a long minute the doctor looked rather stricken, before his eyes focused rather firmly on the book in front of him, leaving him simply shaking his head. “I’m… I can’t talk with you about that.”

The cloak, on the other hand, seemed to have no issues with giving an indication. A corner of it reached down to gently pat Tony’s inner thigh three times, nudging at his face some with its collar and gesturing at the rather unaware doctor.

The engineer was about to respond when the cloak’s tapping interrupted him. He watched the red fabric tap at his thigh three times and then point to Stephen.

“Levi? What’s up?” He questioned softly, trying to sort out what the cloak was trying to tell him.

“Don’t start with him.” Whether the words were directed at the cloak or Tony was hard to tell, but the sorcerer cast a quick look at the pair of them that read of utter disapproval, and the cloak took the opportunity to flare itself up as though in aggressive protest to its master’s words.

Rather than heeding Stephen in any way, the cloak went about some pantomime of behaviours, using the sorcerer’s resting body to point out rather _distinct_ body parts, then moving along to rather effectively mime the notion of having a shower and shivering under it, leaving the astral form of Stephen to get steadily more agitated.

“ _Stop_ that!"

“So… Stephen had a boner and took a shower…” Tony trailed off, he rubbed the bridge of his nose a little flustered from this kind of guessing game but it would help get to the bottom of things.

Tony looked up at the floating apparition of the sorcerer. “Is that why you don’t want to talk about it?”

Stephen looked away swiftly enough, his expression rather clearly ashamed. “I can’t exactly control all of this. It’s… just happening. I’m sorry. Like I said I’m… I’m trying to figure out some way to _stop_ this. For _both_ of our sakes…”

He seemed suddenly much smaller and much less resolute than he’d been before, his arms tucking in closely against his sides. “I won’t… act on any of this. I promise… I just… please don’t hate me. I can’t… control this.”

Tony shook his head, but laid a hand on the sorcerer’s arm. That being the one connected to the unconscious body of the sorcerer.

“You still never answered my question, what was _so bad_ about what you saw in the dream - what did you even see?” Tony knew exactly what the sorcerer saw. He both saw and experienced the same things the other did but it was important to hear it from Stephen himself.

“If I… If I say it… I can’t… _unsay it_... there’s… no going back from it if I do…” The sorcerer murmured, his voice barely audible as the man was clearly unwilling to look at the mogul.

There was a pregnant pause before Tony broke the silence.

“We fucked.” He stated bluntly. “That’s all there is to it. There, I said it and now you don’t have to. Is that really what’s been going on? Why you’re refusing to sleep - why you've been depriving yourself?” There wasn’t any shame in Tony’s statement.

The cloak had stopped its twitching with that bold statement and curled up over Tony’s lap. The sorcerer, on the other hand, was silent for a good few minutes, staring rather sullenly at the book on his worktable. He tucked his hands between his knees in silence as he looked steadily more drained sitting there, rather as though Tony’s words had managed to deflate him entirely.

Finally, he nodded slightly.

“I’m sorry. I know we’ve… been over this to an extent. I tried… to warn you I was too close to everything to keep being of any help to you…”

“I think you’re the only one that really has a problem with this part of things doc… Was it really so bad? You know, I get if you wouldn’t want to be involved in the project but I didn’t think it was _that bad_ … All things considered.” The engineer trailed off softly.

“But it’s not… what you want from me.” Stephen stated quietly in return. “... and really that makes sense. It’s not as though I know the first thing about making _any_ partner happy... let alone another… man…” The sorcerer’s expression became a deep frown as he shook his head, cursing under his breath some.

“And this is why I just walk away… This is why Christine thought… I had a problem with competition… I don’t know how to cope with any of this. I’m…” His hands ran fretfully through hair that somehow still reacted to the touch even in his astral state. “I’m… so far in the closet I think Narnia’s calling, and all I ever wanted was to stay there… I didn’t _want_ this…”

Not really caring what Stephen had to say about it, he wordlessly reached for Stephen’s head, lifting it up so he could sit up on the cot and lay the sorcerer’s head against his lap.

It seemed that the feelings were at least mutual, but the sorcerer still seemed riddled at best with how to go about handling it.

“You know when I told you about the feeling of having something ripped away from me? Having felt something so close that it felt like reality. It became so mundane, so perfect in the dream, so real - and then awakening from it felt like I was having a life I knew so intimately torn away from me… I know what you’re going through and I’ve surely been dealing with it longer than you have when these dreams all started.” He ran a hand through sorcerer’s hair.

“But then I thought to myself… _why fight it?_ ”

Stephen seemed about to retort before biting words back and just looking at Tony and his own body simply laying in his lap. His jaw set after a moment and he shook his head, starting to pace the hall in clear agitation.

“Is it that easy for you? I’ve been fighting this for thirty years and I thought I’d done well for myself in avoiding doing something that made me so confused and sick to my stomach that I hated myself for even _thinking_ about it. And then this book comes along and suddenly _I can’t get out_ ... No mental barriers were strong enough, no discipline, no _sense_ was sufficient to make this stop.

“Now it’s just… in my head. This thing that just _haunts_ me… and I still feel sick. I can’t eat. I’m afraid to sleep. I don’t… know how much worse it will be the next time… I feel like I’ve been lying to myself for so long I don’t know who I _am_ anymore and I hate _every_ part of myself because I don’t know which part I hate more… the part I know I’ve suppressed… or the part of me I’ve pretended to be…”

Tony took his hands away and set them in his lap. He folded his hands together in his lap beside Stephen's head as he watched the sorcerer's astral form pace restlessly.

“What have you suppressed all this time? And what is it that you keep pretending to be?"

“ _Normal._ ” Stephen stated, before taking a long pause and giving something of a derisive laugh at that. “... Vishanti… I haven’t pretended I was ‘normal’ for more than three years… why haven’t I even questioned this…? _Straight_ I guess? It feels wrong to say that, too… that feels like a weird dismissal of things with the cloak, I’m… I don’t even know what I am. If I… even could just _accept_ my interest in men… I don’t… know what that makes me…”

The sorcerer was quiet for a time at that thought, sinking into his seat again and staring through his hands at the floor. “... thank you for… not yelling at me… for not… hating me for all of this. I’ve never said any of this… to anyone before…”

“Straight.” Was the thing Tony seemed to parrot - now things started to make a lot more sense. With an understanding on exactly how these drawbacks worked he could potentially offer more insight. Not to mention he could put a source to the rigidness with him. "You have an interest… what's not to accept?

“I don’t think I could ever hate you for any of this… I actually enjoyed the dreams we’ve been having. They feel like memories, recollections of a previous life. Sometimes I wake up sad and I’d even go so far as to venture that they meant something more than just dreams given all… _this._ ” Tony gestured to the room.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything, and I think this all happened for a reason.” He laughed softly looking down at the sorcerer’s head in his lap. “Real or not, I kind of wished those dreams _were_ a reality…”

Stephen remained quiet again for a time, watching the engineer cradling his head so gently and seeming to process the engineer’s words. It took a little bit before the man lowered his head into his hands and shook his head.

“I thought… if I kept ignoring it… maybe it would go away? Which is stupid. I know it’s stupid. I like to think I’m smarter than that and yet… here I am. And all I accomplished was making things complicated. More complicated than they needed to be…”

Looking up again and across at Tony, Stephen sighed. “When I asked if what you were dreaming was what you wanted from me… why didn’t you just… say so? I tried to open up about it… and then I thought that wasn’t what you wanted. So I backed off.”

“Honestly Stephen, I didn't think you were being receptive to any of the signals I’d been putting out - I thought you were uncomfortable with the notions. I didn’t want to make things weird for us, but mostly you considering how dramatic the sway was between the dreams I was having now and how you’d been acting on our outings....” He didn’t revoke his gaze but rather held it. “I’m sorry…”

“I’m sorry, too.” The sorcerer sighed again, more heavily as he shook his head. “You’re right. I wasn’t receptive. I was… panicked. I didn’t know whether you were _serious_ or just… being you, I guess. It was easier to cope if I just assumed you were flirting playfully, instead of… meaning anything by it. And I feel like even more of an idiot now because that’s absurd, isn’t it?”

His brows drew firmly together into a frown as he dropped his eyes to the floor with that look of shame all over again. “You deserve a lot better than what I put you through.”

The engineer shook his head. “What if _better_ isn’t what I want?” He carefully set his hand once again on Stephen’s forehead. “I mean the game’s no fun if you don’t have players… _Maybe that’s a bad analogy_ , but you get the point. People make mistakes, I know I’ve had a lifetime of those and I know I’ll make more.”

“Don’t _most people_ want better…?” Stephen gave him a confused look at his words at first, before just shrugging the thought away. “Anyway, I just mean… I’m sorry I treated you the way I did. Treating people I care about poorly seems to be a habit of mine… _Vishanti_ and I haven’t even asked about you or how your wounds are healing…”

A hand ran over his face, a tired expression crossing it as he grumbled under his breath before looking at his body again. “I guess… I really should sleep… I’m not thinking clearly in the slightest…”

"My wounds are fine, and no one is perfect. Stephen, we all have skeletons in our closet and some of us show and share them better than others. In a way we are all damaged - I came to you because I finally had enough and needed to face those facts. If I was the man I was five years ago now, I would have laughed at the idea of seeing a therapist, or even seeking help." Tony's fingers curled and his knuckles brushed lightly against the sorcerer's sleeping forehead.

"Get some rest, Levi and I will be right here. We'll get you to bed, you've had enough of this place for now. You need to actually sleep in your own bed."

“I can walk on my own…” the sorcerer protested softly, even as his astral form disappeared from view. Moments later he sat up in his physical body, giving Tony a mildly embarrassed look and glancing at the cloak that had come to nudge at him gently. “I can walk… it’s okay. I can at least manage that much. Besides, I’m sure there’s plenty of stuff here you’ll want to take a look at, Tony…”

Stephen offered a hesitant smile to the brunette. “I’ll get Wong to… help me get to sleep. I’ll rejoin you here after…?”

"I think I'd rather wait with you. I've waited long enough to find out what the book had to offer and it won’t kill me to wait longer." He slipped an arm under Stephen's side to support him as he walked, taking him out of through the portal and into his room.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'd rather be here to help you."

The cloak settled over both of their shoulders and Stephen hesitated only briefly as they reached his bed. “You don’t have to sit around and wait. If you want to come wake me up at a specific time… that would be helpful if I’m using a spell to sleep - which… at this point might be necessary, my whole body is still feeling rather jittery from the espresso…”

Tony simply shook his head. "I'll be here when you wake up, I know how to keep myself busy."

He helped Stephen over to his bed, pulled back the sheets and brought them over him. The cloak likewise curled up overtop of him, resting its collar near Stephen's cheek and nudging into him affectionately.

"It's not like you haven't done the same for me."

“I was participating in your dreams at that point. It’s a little different…” Stephen murmured, but after a moment he simply sighed a little and reached a hand to gently hug the cloak. “Just… don’t feel like you have to stay… if something comes up…” He trailed off after a moment and closed his eyes. “... good night. I’ll… see you when I wake.”

He didn’t so much as raise his hands to make the mudras, leaving them rested against the comforter and cloak as his hands moved into the odd shapes he was somehow so fluent in before his hands relaxed as the spell took effect and the sorcerer drifted off into sleep.

Tony was about to respond; he opened his mouth but closed it, deciding to stay quiet. As the sorcerer drifted off to sleep he stared down at the both of them with some sort of hesitation.

He took up a spot on the unoccupied side of the bed, carefully as to not wake the sorcerer before leaning down and gently placing a kiss on Stephen's forehead. "Don't tell Stephen..." He grinned at the cloak.

The cloak gave Tony a pat of acknowledgement, reaching to drape itself over the engineer as well as its sorcerer as it gave a small shiver of delight.

Tony laid a gentle palm on the soft red fabric. He looked down at the cloak and then over to the sleeping sorcerer, occasionally brushing bangs out of the way. Since the admission he felt more able to be more affectionate and open to expressing himself physically without hesitation.

 

* * *

 

It was a good few hours before the sorcerer woke, during which time either he had rolled closer to Tony, or the cloak had pulled them together - or maybe Tony had moved closer to him - really it was hard to say. He woke with an arm wrapped around the engineer’s waist rather like it belonged there and in his bleary state he didn’t question it at first, making a soft noise as his first sign of consciousness.

After a few minutes, he slowly began to wake properly, rolling onto his back and rubbing at his face, with a yawn before giving Tony a rather confused look. He didn’t feel upset in anyway, rather he was trying to figure out how or why they were in that situation. Finally his expression began to clear and he looked a bit more alert as he gave a final yawn and started to sit up.

“Mmm… there are chairs over there you know.” He wasn’t off-put and did his best to make that clear to the engineer with a small smile as he said it.

"Right, the chairs are _over there_ but you are over here. You see where the problem lies?" Tony set down the tablet he was digging around in, the windows on the screen collapsing as he placed the tablet off to the side. He turned to greet the sorcerer with a soft smile, looking down at him with his hands lightly placed over the cloak.

“Mmmm, no. I must be missing it…” The sorcerer mused as he leaned back against the headboard, petting the cloak lightly as he got his bearings. “Have you been here the whole time? That can’t be good for your back…”

Taking the time to continue petting the cloak until it settled, Stephen crawled out of bed and looked to his robes, brushing at them as though to deal with the creasing before running a hand into his hair and pausing. From there he shuffled over to a small mirror near his door and quickly fixed his thoroughly sleep-ruffled hair. He then turned another small smile on Tony.

“Dare I ask how long I was out?”

"About five hours, I did have to get up and stretch my legs but aside from that - yeah I've basically been here the entire time, just working. Both the cloak and I." The engineer looked over at Stephen, pulling the cloak up closer into his lap.

“I’m… sorry. You didn’t have to stay so long I… I hope I didn’t keep you from too much.” The sorcerer swallowed back his apologies, making an effort to avoid falling into the self-deprecating territory he’d been in, in his thoroughly unrested state. He didn’t shy away from watching the man in his bed however, finding himself conflicted with the recognition that he _liked_ the idea even as his stomach twisted itself in knots of guilt at his perceived ‘wrongness’ of that notion.

“Anyway if… you have the time there’s a lot to show you, since… you’ve seen the tomb now. Or… temple. It’s hard to really say what it is. And whatever it was you were doing to bring that light to the walls… that was new. No magic I’ve drawn on thus far has made those images come to life like that, and there you are making things happen without even trying…” Somehow he was less surprised than he should have been.

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to." He prodded softly, sliding out from underneath the cloak and standing up as he regarded Stephen with a very gentle look. He followed after Stephen with a degree of anticipation towards where the portal was and waited. "What did you need to show me?”

“It’s… not a need. Not an immediate need if you have other things to be doing…” Despite his words Stephen stepped through the portal and paused briefly, before reaching back to offer Tony a hand.

He knew Tony didn’t need the help through the portal - there was no step, no difference in elevation between the two sides - but it was the smallest step he could take to try and start accepting his emotional state. He cared about Tony… maybe he loved him. But if he didn’t at least try he’d never really know, would he? And after all the dreams, all the _possibilities_ that had been shown to him he’d be an absolute fool not to at least _try_ , as juvenile as holding hands might be. It was progress.

“I want to show you the temple properly.” Because calling it a tomb felt somehow… wrong when he really thought about it. Not when he’d seen what he’d seen, and knew what he known about the place. It had been somewhere special once - somewhere for creation and life, not death.

Tony looked over at the offered hand and hesitated a moment as if the very notion surprised him.

He looked between the hand and the sorcerer’s face before reaching out and gently placing his own hand into Stephen’s. He curled his fingers around the sorcerer’s with a gentle smile and allowed himself to be guided through the breach before both his feet found purchase on the other side.

“I know but I want you to show me, _again._ ” With a gentle nod he watched as the vibrant lines of blue began to erupt with their presence. Orange and blue twisting and pulsing to life with their presence.

“ _Properly._ ” Stephen nodded in return, not releasing the hand in his once it was there as he guided the other through the halls.

“There’s a place it… starts. I think you might be familiar with it, but I figured it’s the best place to begin making sense of it all.” He didn’t pause to look at any of the markings, guiding Tony through the mostly empty corridors and turning here and there with a very distinct idea of where to go.

Each of the corridors they passed seemed blocked by walls that looked ancient but showed no signs of crumbling or deterioration. Magic held it all together - a magic than ran deeply through this place that he’d felt the first time he’d stepped here. The magic that had left him continuing to investigate it as it had utterly captured his curiosity. But he knew which paths were simply dead ends and which path to take at this point, he’d spent enough time there to form something of a mental map of the place.

Every so often his pace would slow and if he was being honest with himself he was already walking a little slower than he might normally. Tony wasn’t as tall as he was, his legs weren’t as long and expecting him to keep pace would’ve likely meant dragging him through the halls where he meant to simply show the man this place. They weren’t in a hurry and there was no need for that, nor even a warning to the man to stay close given he held the other’s hand to make certain he didn’t fall behind, or get lost or distracted.

“From here… it won’t make sense at first…” He warned the other as he turned a corner and the hall for once didn’t seem to end. A large open entry stood clearly leading out into what Stephen knew to be empty space.

There was food outside, he knew because he’d investigated it well enough. Little bits of shrubbery that contained fruits and berries and nuts - all the things that the druid tended to have on offer when he dreamed of the other’s presence. But he knew well enough how much stress the exterior of the temple might cause Tony, so as they approached the entrance he simply turned to have the man face inwards again, where the cloak proved it had followed them and quickly settled itself over Stephen’s shoulders to be out of the way.

This wasn’t how Stephen had first experienced this space, but it was the first way he’d dreamed it and his free hand raised to create an effective glow behind them that echoed how he’d first seen it in the dream he assumed they’d shared.

Tony’s eyes traveled around the tomb with almost starstruck wonder. Familiarity flashed in his eyes, knowing that he’d been here before - he didn’t have to say it, but it could all be read on the man’s face as his eyes scanned the walls down to either every last detail.

The lights didn’t seem to distract him though they did cause his gaze to linger some as they’d proceeded down the halls.

Tony squeezed the Stephen’s hand a little, endearing in its gesture.

“Stephen… Could this place… possibly belong to us in some way, like we are tied to those apparitions in our dreams? I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and I know it seems crazy but given all of this… I considered some sort of quantum properties coming into play, quantum entanglement of some sort.” He turned to the sorcerer with a curious but hopeful gaze.

“It could,” he responded softly. “It… very well might. But as per the dreams we’ve had… if you had the same one I did, this is the first place they - _we_ \- entered. When the alchemist opened the gateway at the top of the tree… this place right here is where they came in. I can’t make the same lights show up on the walls - I’m not a druid, I can’t use druidic magic. I don’t… really know how. The dreams have made it so I can sort of feel how it _feels_ to use it but I don’t really know how to harness that feeling and bring it to life.

“What I _can_ do,” he continued, “is highlight the other kinds and forms of magic that matter here… the other kinds of magic this place responds to.” Lifting Tony’s hand briefly he pressed a tentative kiss to his knuckles, before releasing the hand and making a few short gestures. Immediately the walls sprung to life around them with vivid displays of colours - rivers, mountains, tree roots, animals, sprawling in glowing panoramas that spread most of the way down the corridor, seeming to fade out slowly as they went further and further down the hall.

It was clear that the images weren’t complete and something was very distinctly missing however.

Tony looked up at Stephen with his mouth agape. If he wasn’t surprised before he certainly was now. The engineer looked as if he wanted to say more but he didn’t really get the chance as the sorcerer continued to show him more of the vault and the different motifs that decorated it.

He approached the wall and lifted a hand to trace some of the designs, and as he did they lit up blue under his influence. He brushed his palm over the different design work and turned a look to Stephen - confused, sad, bewildered.

“I… I don’t think I have the answer. But if this really does have something to do with us then we will probably find the rest of our answers within that book…” Tony trailed off with a soft smile. “I think these two things are very heavily linked to one another, the book may have or even be a key of some sorts… I would also like to figure out how the story ends…”

“I’m almost certain it _is_ a key,” Stephen affirmed, offering the engineer an echoing smile and leading the way back toward where he’d set up the cot and desk. He kept his hands and the lights on them raised to allow all the different scenes to continue to be on display as he passed by and giving Tony as much opportunity to examine them as he could with his slow pace.

He paused at one point, gesturing absently. “I’m fairly sure those stairs lead to the forge, but as with all the walls they’re not opening for me.” And after several more steps he gestured to a hallway that turned off in a direction, seeming to be lit from somewhere down the line. “There’s an altar that way, I’ll show you that in a little bit. But for now…”

Making his way back to the place his temporary workstation had been set up, Stephen paused and sighed a bit, pressing his hand to the wall and allowing it to light up in a clearly doorway-shaped display. “But this is the door the book was in front of. If you peek under the table there, there’s a small stand the book had been on. I’ve had the feeling since I first saw it all that the book was somehow the key to opening this door, and that opening this door is important. It’s why I was so fixated on it even before I dragged you into it with me.”

Turning to face Tony he offered a smile. “Maybe that was precisely the point, though. Maybe _you’re_ what was missing from my being able to figure it out. Maybe these dreams are _part_ of the process…”

Tony followed after Stephen, his gaze lingering on the sorcerer with confidence as he reached up and placed his palm on the flat stone. Something had clearly changed between the both of them as Tony wasn’t at all withholding with the looks he gave his companion. There was a familiarity that reflected in his eyes, fondness and peace.

Just like Stephen’s, the blue lights of his own presence lit up and spiraled inward, filling off the second part of the door as it wove itself into Stephen’s side.

“This all feels like a déjà vu, I’ve been here before - we’ve been here before! But… Why can’t we _remember_ how to open it…?” The engineer’s eyes looked down where the colours bled into, a sort of keyhole that had been hidden away before.

“I know what you mean regarding the sense of familiarity but… I personally can’t actively _remember_ anything that wasn’t a part of one of those dreams. It’s like somehow these feelings are more vague and dreamlike than the actual dreams…” Stephen sighed softly, crouching near the keyhole to take a look.

“... I haven’t seen this before. This looks like some kind of locking mechanism…”

That took him by surprise. He had no real sense of whether it was magical or mechanical, or somehow some combination thereof… he hadn’t seen it before. But even as they observed it the hole seemed to deepen some, disappearing into a dark space that was impossible to see into or through. Was there something meant to be inserted? The sorcerer pulled back to look curiously at Tony.

“Can you get some kind of… scan of the inside of this? Like you might with a keyhole?”

Tony nodded and he procured his tablet. He held the device up to the hole and had Friday do a scan, taking pictures of it and composing a structural breakdown. As she continued her analysis the brunette laughed softly.

“I’m starting to get the feeling that the less we do here, and the more time we spend dreaming and fantasizing about the past - the clearer the picture becomes…” When the scan had completed he took his hand off the door and looked at the tablet and frowned.

“I wonder if the dreaming is the point,” Stephen responded quietly, watching the man work and giving his expression an inquisitive look. “Can you fashion a key…? I’m assuming based on your expression probably not…?”

And if Tony couldn’t get a reading to fashion a key on it… maybe a deep dive into the dreams really _was_ the key. At the very least the key to figuring out the next chapter of the book, given how closely the text seemed to parallel the dreams.

Tony shook his head. “Friday measured the depth, the keyhole is no deeper than a centimeter but get this - it has no locking mechanisms, it’s just a hole in a stone slab…” Tony flipped the tablet around. “On top of it, the visuals show that the keyhole just basically never ends… I think, yeah… We need to do a little more work on the other stuff first.”

“A magical key of some sort then, perhaps…” Stephen sighed, running a hand into his hair. “If only it was as easy as just a key. But that’s just our luck of late. Well… there’s still the altar to show you. I’m curious how much of an effect you’ll have on _that..._ ” The sorcerer admitted with a small smile as he offered a hand to Tony again. “Any interest?”

Tony took his hand but he instead pulled Stephen in closer not giving him the chance to lead him off. He took the sorcerer’s other hand and gently held them both in his own.

“This is all fascinating Stephen, but I think you really need to take a rest and that nap you took earlier doesn’t _really_ count.” He squeezed softly. “I think we should go back and work on the book to get a fresh outlook on things, maybe even put things down and relax for a little while; you’re going to drive yourself insane if you keep at it like this, especially when we don’t have all the answers.” Tony nodded towards the portal out of the vault.

“We aren’t going to _get_ any more answers if we don’t examine all the facts.” Stephen frowned slightly, even as he curled his hands around Tony’s uncertainty.

As Tony had pointed out he’d _just_ had a nap - a break - from all of this, and in that moment with how many things felt like they were becoming more _real_ and more _clear_ he found the idea of stepping away less than thrilling. Accepting that this whole thing might truly be directly related to them, not just a consequence of their engagement with it, seeing the way the room reacted to them, and knowing that those _dreams_ were something _more_... they were all sufficient reasons for him to want to press on. But it wasn’t as though the engineer was suggesting they cease entirely, just that they get back to focusing on the book. Perhaps they had what they needed now to finally translate that final chapter.

With a soft sigh and a last look at the door, Stephen gave a slight nod. “... alright. I guess… we can take a little time to focus on the book.”

“I’m sure you’ve spent enough time in here for now, cupcake.” A wide teasing smile spread from ear-to-ear and he ran his thumbs over the tops of Stephen’s hands.

He looked up at the sorcerer, drinking in the man’s still tired disposition - _he most certainly did need a break_.

Without a moment to spare Tony let go of Stephen’s hands only to place both of his own on either side of Stephen’s shoulders as he leaned upwards onto his tippy-toes to place a fleeting kiss on his lips before letting his weight carry him back down to the heels of his feet.

"The book it is."

His heart leapt into his throat at the kiss, brief as it was, and he gave Tony a fleeting look of surprise. He felt… surprisingly okay about that. It wasn’t as though anyone had been around to see, it was just _them_ ... and it felt oddly… _perfect._ He could only imagine his stunned expression and as much as his heart felt like it had turned entirely into butterflies, he didn’t exactly trust himself to speak in that moment.

Instead he gave the man a shy smile and a nod, gathering the book from the desk, and taking one of Tony’s hands to gently leading him back towards the portal.

The kiss hadn’t been anything passionate or involved, brief enough that an outsider could’ve missed it at a blink but his heart would _not_ stop hammering in his chest, and even before they’d crossed the portal’s threshold into his bedroom again he felt the initial surprise and confliction bloom into thorough elation.

Tony had kissed him…

Moreover… Stephen was _happy_ about it. He wasn’t angry, or defensive, or afraid like he’d anticipated. He was just happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>    
> [Amy (Foxglove)](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral (Bravehardt)](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	15. The Red Feather

The engineer had busied himself with setting up the tablet to continue their translations.

Their little kiss had quite frankly sent him into a tizzy. At the moment, he hadn’t the slightest clue what he was doing - the urge was there and he simply went for it. There was no anxiety in considering the actions, or the complications that could have arisen if Stephen had not been receptive to his gesture - but he was and he felt all the better for it.

Needless to say he’d hoped the small gesture was just as well received on his end. Stephen made efforts keep their hands held, catering to the small little gestures together as they exited the vault.

It really felt like some steps to progress had been taken both in their discovery of the vault and relationship itself, and Stephen even seemed to resonate a more confident air about him.

It actually felt like something now, their relationship. Something small, wholesome - that had the potential to grow into something so much grander. And now, with their most recent revelation the thoughts alone made him fuzzy on the inside just thinking about it.

Come to think of it, his arc reactor in a way had felt _very_ different from the moment he’d stepped foot into that vault - something he’d actually need to talk to Stephen about.

While Stephen was upstairs taking care of a few things he’d been flipping through the book. He stopped on a page near the very end, eyes going wide at what was pressed in between the two pages he currently had open. His heart almost leapt out of his chest and Tony immediately turned, pushing out from the table and heading up to Stephen’s room.

“Hey, Stephen - I found something!” Brimming with an excitement he could hardly contain as he _ran_ up the stairs with a skip forwards, heading to his room.

“-And you just didn’t think to mention any of this?” The sorcerer’s scolding could be heard from Stephen’s room as Tony rounded the corner, leaving the man in question to look up at the engineer with confusion laden on his face. The cloak; apparently the recipient of the scolding took Tony’s arrival as an opportunity to escape from the doctor’s wrath and quickly fled to wrap itself around the mogul’s shoulders as though seeking protection.

“Tony? What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

Tony looked between the cloak and then to Stephen’s worried expression, he had an inquisitive expression of his own in regards to what the two had been talking about - but that could wait. He gave the collar of the cloak a gentle pat as it shook a little anxiously around his shoulders before regarding Stephen.

He walked up to Stephen and presented the item that had been folded in between the pages of the book.

It was a large _red cardinal feather._

Too big to belong to any cardinal that existed today, or even any parrot. “I think… This only affirms everything now…” He handed the feather delicately over to Stephen.

“Where did you find this…?” Stephen asked softly, carefully taking the feather in his hands to examine, flashing a look at the cloak for a moment before holding the feather up and resting it against Tony’s shoulder - against the cloak.

Tony looked at the colours, the feather was the exact same colour as the cloak - perfectly preserved. “It was pressed into the pages in one of the chapters… I was looking through it and it just fell out...”

The sorcerer’s lips thinned into a line as he looked at the cloak rather sternly. “Did _you_ put this there?” The cloak flared a bit in response, rather distinctly giving a pair of pats in disagreement. “And the feathers on the dreamcatcher…?”

The cloak hesitated at that, curling a little around Tony before giving a single pat.

Tony looked between the two of them - the sense that he was somehow caught out of the loop on something here. “Am I missing something here...?” He looked back over to Stephen, some anxiety twisting in the pit of his stomach.

“Oh yes. It seems our little friend here has been keeping secrets.” Stephen huffed a bit. “And it knows a hell of a lot more than it’s been letting on about this whole situation. So while we’ve been sitting here stressing out over everything, _this one_ -” He gestured at the cloak, “-has been at least somewhat aware of all the things we’ve been puzzling over.”

After a long moment, Stephen gave Tony a rather serious look, lifting the feather. “The Cloak of Levitation… was the druid’s wings.”

The engineer’s face went blank for a second.

It wasn’t exactly discernible which emotions he was feeling at the moment. The flood of overwhelming emotions was enough to knock him off kilter, Tony felt he’d pass out that very moment.

Up until this point their hypothesis was based on speculation and coincidence. But this here? This was the final piece of the puzzle the both of them had been looking for all this time.

Tony’s gaze once again flicked to the cloak and he lightly picked up the feather again and ran a finger along the edge.

“So that just-” He struggled to articulate.

He looked back to Stephen.

“That means-” The cloak lightly patted him on the cheeks. “Everything… I-” Tony ran a hand over the bridge of his nose. He put his other hand on Stephen’s shoulder and stumbled over to the bed to find something to keep him from falling over, light headed at this information.

He stared up at Stephen with an incredulous look.

Stephen stayed near enough to support him, before sitting beside him on the bed, giving the cloak a briefly sour look before nodding slightly. “I had wondered how the cloak had managed to find so many feathers for your dreamcatcher. As it turns out, it didn’t _find_ them at all, it _produced_ them. The feathers of your dreamcatcher are from the _same_ cardinal you kept dreaming about.” He lifted the feather Tony had brought up rather pointedly. “The same cardinal _this_ feather came from.”

Despite having fled earlier, the cloak gently extended a corner to curl around Stephen as he sat with Tony, and the sorcerer sighed softly, leaning in a little closer and allowing for the affection. “The only reason I _found_ the temple to begin with was because the cloak _brought_ me there. I simply thought it had sensed an anomaly… but that _apparently_ wasn’t it. The cloak _knew_ it was there.”

“That really was us then huh…?” Tony fingered the vermilion feather, spinning it around in his fingers as he thought about it. “We _had_ a life together at some point… but, my question is - what happened? How - or what is going on to have led us here? And how is this all connected?” He spoke softly leaning on Stephen a bit for the support.

“Are these memories? I don’t understand - I have too many questions about this.”

“Any time you wanna chime in cloak…?” Stephen muttered at the piece of fabric which simply tugged them a little closer together, being perfectly unhelpful. “... didn’t think so.”

Sighing, the sorcerer shook his head a little. “I’m afraid I don’t know. I don’t have any of the answers. Past lives, maybe? Alternate universes? The cloak doesn’t seem willing to explain… not that it can talk exactly, so that’s a fun barrier to try and work around.”

Tony shook his head.

“I think it was better that it didn’t tell us at first, for obvious reasons...” Tony quirked a brow, a smile returning to his face as he reached up and tapped lightly at the arc reactor on his chest.

“That brings me to another point I wanted to bring up… Ever since I entered that vault, the reactor has felt… different in a way, like something from that room… came back with me. It’s hard to explain, it's just a feeling, but it's something I haven’t felt before and it’s… Not bad in any way.”

“That’s… admittedly a little concerning.” Grey eyes settled on his chest rather intently for a moment. “Have you done any readings of it? Is it anything you can measure…? Or should I try to see if it’s something less Earthly…?”

“I mean you can take a look. It’s partially a feeling and also partially an energy. Like something mingled with the reactor in there and it just feels different? The reactor isn’t part of me anymore but it makes it feel like it is… and in a different way there’s something of an energy inside me.” Tony knew he couldn’t really describe what he felt, he also knew he was doing a pretty bad job at it too.

Without warning he slipped his hands under the lip of his shirt and pulled it up, exposing his chest for Stephen. The doctor shifted slightly in his spot for a moment before helping Tony to lay back and taking a deep breath. An unsteady hand hovered over where Tony’s reactor sat and soon enough small tendrils of energy seemed to connect Stephen’s hand to the reactor as he carefully examined it. After a period of quiet, the sorcerer sat back with a puzzled expression and offered a small shrug.

“Sorry, I can’t sense anything different about the reactor,” Stephen sighed a little, looking the man over briefly before sitting back. “Whatever you’re getting a sense of isn’t something I can detect.”

Tony had a sheepish expression on his face as he nodded. He felt a little embarrassed, cheeks blooming. He pulled his shirt down and sat back up again.

“... Like I said, it wasn’t anything bad, I wouldn’t worry too much about it but thanks for checking _me out._ ” He narrowed his eyes for a moment and looked down at the cloak.

“So… does this mean you _can turn into wings_?” Tony was aware that the cloak could take on many different forms, but after that soft inquiry the edges of the cloak began to stretch and expand into long, silky red quills. Soft red feathers curled around the two men again in an embrace of crimson red feathers and Tony reached out to touch one of the long expansive quills with an astounded look.

He turned to Stephen and grinned. “You know, you’d look charming with a pair of wings.” He chuckled softly.

“I find myself worried about you far too often.” Stephen huffed softly, looking away with a hint of embarrassment. The moment those wings spread and wrapped around them however, that embarrassment faded away into awe.

“Levi this is beautiful…” He murmured softly, reaching to touch at the other wing draped around them and taking a long moment to admire the glossy wings - though it didn’t take long for him to recognize small areas where the wings were damaged. The sorcerer twisted in his spot some to look at the afflicted areas, finding some greying feathers hidden away that the cloak seemed to shy away from him touching at.

After a moment, he glanced between Tony and the cloak with some thought before looking a bit uncertain. “... I don’t know if-” The thought was immediately cut off as the cloak swiftly adjusted to clasp onto his back, pulling him along just enough to spread out to its full wingspan as though enthused by Tony’s suggestion.

“I think it looks absolutely charming at least." Tony stifled a chuckle as to not make Stephen feel too out of place with the cloak. He could admit that it was a very complementing look for the sorcerer even if the wings seemed a little over glorified, but the gold clasps on the tips of the wings with the red on his blue tunic complimented him well. Even up to the silver flares of hair just over his ears.

“Dare I even go so far as saying it looks regal?” He ran his hands again over the crimson tufts of feathers, snickering once again as smaller feathers started to shed and stick to the sorcerer’s front “Probably less practical, and more messy though…”

“I’m not sure I’d want to be out in public like this. I don’t want to know what people would think if suddenly I was flapping around, and I… don’t know how to maneuver like this.” Stephen murmured, watching the wings twitch a little before the cloak morphed back into a cloak and bundled around the sorcerer affectionately.

“Yeah… this is definitely more my style of late.” He chuckled softly, petting the fabric as he glanced at Tony with a small smile. He wrinkled his nose slightly and looked at the cloak again. “Don’t think being pretty automatically gets you off the hook for keeping secrets though.”

“Yeah I suppose so, though I think the Cloak of Levitation begs the name - I doubt you’d need to flap your wings but at the same time you would look pretty _strange_ flying around with a pair of outstretched wings that weren’t flapping. The look is nice, but it’s clearly past its prime in terms of function.” Tony laughed softly. He gently pet the cloak.

“Sorry bud, you look majestic as hell but I guess it just doesn’t work out so well in this day and age.” He trailed off.

“Though, maybe when we feel like busting out some hella role-playing you could experiment…” Yup, Tony just said that, and with a quirk of his brow too.

“Being fair I have no idea what its name was…” Stephen started, before looking up sharply at Tony and staring for a good long while.

“... you find out… the cloak can turn into wings… and _that’s_... where your head goes?” He paused, before rubbing at his reddening face. The cloak nudged at him some, and he huffed behind a hand. “No one’s stopping you if that’s what you want, Levi.”

“You didn’t say no!” Tony continued to prod lightly. “And yeah - that’s where my head goes, considering we both saw what _you were capable of_ and _how_ you used those wings of yours. So sue me, _it was just an idea._ ” The engineer tried to justify though lacing his explanation with layers of humor to try and hide his true feelings about it all.

Maybe he did want to see Stephen as he was in his past. To this point he was considerably invested in the persona that had come alive through mere texts and dreams.

“I also didn’t say yes!” Stephen responded, his tone sounding stressed and a little panicked. He took a few clear breaths, seeming to realize how quickly riled up he was getting before shaking his head a little.

“I… I could use a little time to get accustomed to this… _all_ of this… before we start talking about stuff like that… please. I’m not trying to be difficult… I’m just… this is still new to me…”

“Sorry… It was just a joke - I guess that’s something I need to put some reins on. Forget I said anything.” Tony shook his head, not defensive at all in the way he tried to explain himself but more concerned about driving the other away.

As it was, he had an insight into Stephen’s insecurities, an understanding of where the sorcerer was coming from. The last thing he wanted to do was drive the sorcerer away with a misunderstanding through his jokes.

“Thank you… I… I’m really not trying to be difficult.” Stephen mumbled quietly as he reiterated, still collecting himself. “And if you and Levi want to do things together I’m… not going to stop either of you. Or if… you need something else… from someone else… I… I’m going to need some time to work on getting comfortable with things so…” He puffed out a quiet sigh and with it he seemed to deflate some.

The engineer shook his head. “Stephen this isn’t about _that_ , none of it ever was. I’ve had my time to be an intrepid flirt. If that’s really all I wanted I would have given up on you a long time ago. I’m willing to go the miles it takes for this - however long _it takes._ ”

Tony didn’t know if he should make some sort of consolidating physical gesture or remain at lengths. Stephen was the most fragile creature he’d ever dealt with - the man was almost made of glass. It wasn’t a matter of the distance traveled to get to this point, but the connection he had and _especially_ the feelings.

The engineer looked unsure of how he was supposed to handle it but he did his best, he had clearly disturbed the other and physical contact to consolidate those feelings was probably the last thing he should do.

Stephen’s eyes lifted from their spot to focus on Tony for a few moments and he offered a small smile, bridging the slight gap between them to rest his hand on Tony’s. “... thank you. I mean it. I _am_ going to need time. There’s still this… slight nagging voice in my head that keeps trying to tell me everything’s wrong. But it’s smaller than it was and…”

The doctor hesitated briefly, before his hand squeezed Tony’s a little. “... and I would very much like to make _us_ work… because even without the book… it’s not like I can deny you’re _exactly_ the kind of guy I would fall for…”

Deeming the situation appropriate the engineer once again pushed up on his toes to place a brief kiss on Stephen’s cheek.

_Patience, that’s what was needed in this situation._

The two were breaking ground on new territory, and caution would need to be taken.

Tony lowered himself again and squeezed Stephen’s hands with a smile before curling his fingers into the sorcerer’s palm and tugging him towards the door.

“How about we break some more ground with the book? There’s a lot of questions to be answered still.”

“Well, since the cloak clearly doesn’t want to be of any help with it,” The sorcerer chided the cloak again, this time considerably more gently than before. “Then I believe you had a _lot_ of questions indeed. And I’m curious myself about some of the answers. What happened is still a big one. Why all the pathways are closed… how to open the door…” Stephen sighed a little, allowing Tony to lead the way even as he smiled rather warmly at the other man.

“I think the problem is that we have so many questions. We should probably focus on one for now - getting the door open. I have a feeling that once we figure that out the rest will follow like clockwork.” Tony let go of Stephen’s hand once they’d reached their work area.

“We have nearly completed the book's translation."

“Well, after the primary book translations are all the spells, rituals, alchemy, and… schematics?” Stephen hesitated a little at using the word, giving Tony a questioning look for a moment before he continued. “The things at the end of the book. The last forty-some pages seem to just be full of them… but I can’t read most of them. And I don’t recall seeing anything about a locking mechanism or anything like what’s on the door in the book… but then, I haven’t looked at each individual page.”

“Wait… so you mean there’s nothing left story-wise in the book, not even a diagram that comes even remotely close to what we found in the vault?” Tony flipped through the pages and upon his quick skimming he didn’t see any diagrams that resembled that of the vaults.

And what need would there be if the very book was found _within_ the fault?

“There’s still the last chapter of text that needs translating, yes. But the stuff in the back… I mean, I hadn’t seen the keyhole before, so it’s not something I was looking for. It _does_ make me wonder whether this book has things that are hidden in ways that are similar to the markings on the walls of the temple though.” Stephen sighed softly, reaching over to find a page he’d left a little bookmark of his own in, taking a moment to tap it.

“This page shows some of the markings that I’ve seen on the walls. I can only assume that some of these other illustrations on the page are things that can’t be accessed by _my_ known magics.”

“Friday is working on the last chapter currently… But I’m not sure when she’ll be done with the new information she has, right now it’s just broken language.” Tony flipped another page, looking through and sighing. “If you don’t have access then do you think the cloak does? Or at least might be able to show us? Maybe this is a weird thought but what if we were to try and induce those dreams again?”

“ _Is_ that a weird thought?” Stephen inquired, looking rather thoughtful as he did. “It’s not as though we haven’t learned plenty from them already. I can… see if there’s a way to put you under and focus your dreams in a direction that centers around the temple. Or… perhaps if we put you into a dream state _in_ the temple itself the ambient magic might have its own influence…?”

“Yeah we could try that, I mean it’s been our best way of getting information so far.” A wide grin covered Tony’s face as he thought on the idea. “Though wouldn’t you say you’re a little too close to be doing dream-therapy with me?” It was obviously a joke, a small play on their previous standing but Tony couldn’t help but prod at that aspect of things.

He got up anyways and nodded to Stephen.

“I’ll show you ‘too close.’” The sorcerer huffed as he got to his feet as well, scooting a little closer to sneak a kiss. Not a light peck either - there was something to be said for the man in his attempts to give things a shot, as the kiss was heavy and heated. He was gentle in pressing a hand to Tony’s cheek however, cradling his face just slightly before he pulled away with a clearly embarrassed blush despite looking perfectly pleased with himself.

Tony blinked in surprise, not expecting that from the sorcerer. The last time he’d made a joke that was borderline implicit, it had left Stephen uncomfortable.

_This time he’d reciprocated._

“Well you can show me ‘too close’ anytime.” His arms came around Stephen’s waist before he could think to pull away and hide from him, giving the sorcerer a gentle squeeze. “You know, whenever _you are comfortable_ … I could actually give you a real _one of those_...”

Stephen’s hand stroked along Tony’s jaw thoughtfully as he watched him and smiled softly, despite the red clearly blazing across his face. “I can do kisses. If that’s what you want… kisses aren’t a problem…”

It took him a few moments before he lowered his head to gently kiss Tony again, though this time he rather clearly took his time, allowing the hand on Tony’s jaw to brush up into his hair. His other hand lowered to rest over the brunette’s lower back, tucking himself in against the engineer’s body with only an iota of hesitation.

"Good." He mumbled against Stephen's mouth. One of Tony’s hands found its way onto the magus’ hip while the other tentatively slid up the front of Stephen’s chest to lightly hook behind his neck and stroke in gentle, even motions.

The engineer’s movements were ginger and slow, taken with care and leaving the sorcerer as much time as he needed to draw back if he felt things were moving too quickly.

Carefully, Tony tilted his head and opened his mouth, sucking on Stephen’s lips and closing in to taste them. He pressed a tongue outwards to deepen it, fingers gently grazing up along the fine hairs on the back of Stephen’s neck soon after.

The sorcerer shivered a little as Tony’s fingers brushed the back of his neck and his lips parted without stalling. The cloak curled around the pair of them easily and Stephen offered a soft noise of contentment as his fingers played with the strands of Tony’s hair, his tongue batted at the engineer’s intrusive one.

Tony had leaned in, letting the cloak wind around their forms, bringing them together.

The kiss was less about a feverish quenching of some kind of carnal thirst and more about taking the chance to explore one another in the subtle ways they were allowed. Tony took every moment to enjoy the smallest nuances of the kiss, from the gentle noises Stephen made to the burning in his chest as their forms were ironed against each other.

Oddly enough Tony felt… _somewhat nervous for once_ , which was unlike him. His heart beat in his chest at a quickened pace as their tongues melded together and he got the full experience and taste of a _real_ kiss with the man he’d been peacocking at for some time.

He had immense feelings for him. _Love even._

The sorcerer didn’t seem to be in much of a rush, allowing for plenty of time to bask before he slowly pulled away, taking an oddly familiar moment to rest his forehead against Tony’s, his eyes closed and a smile settled on his face. He looked oddly serene and like the druid in that moment as he basked.

“We should get to the temple and get to work… no getting _too_ tangled in kisses right now. Not when there’s work to do.” He chuckled softly, before finally opening his eyes to give Tony a rather adoring look.

The brunette tilted his head. In the time they’d shared their moment, it felt like an eternity. Lips long parted, he finally opened his own eyes and let out a shaky exhale - still somehow nervous, though smiling with a fondness he’d never expressed for the sorcerer before.

“I suppose we should.” He sighed with a soft chuckle. “Just, after… Levi lets us go.” He pushed softly against the fabric which didn't give any slack.

“Levi,” Stephen sighed softly. “We have things to do… come on now. You want us to open that door too, don’t you? That was the point of bringing me there in the first place…?”

The cloak remained fixed in place rather stubbornly at first, before slowly relinquishing the duo and draping itself behind Stephen. The sorcerer smiled a little at it.

“Thank you. Now then…” His eyes sought Tony and the hand that had been fondly brushing at the engineer’s hair dropped to catch Tony’s in his own. “Shall we…?”

The engineer nodded his head and tugged Stephen back up towards his room. He looked over to Stephen and stepped through the still open portal, leading him through before heading towards the cot.

“So, I’m assuming we are going to do this just like before?” He took a seat and looked up at Stephen, finally letting go of his hand.

“As basically as we can. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about in your head given what we know now, so there shouldn’t be much need for aid in getting you to sleep beyond the simple spell. Just make yourself comfortable… the cloak can keep you warm if you like.” The sorcerer smiled, leaning to press a light kiss to the seated man’s forehead. “I’ll be here with you the whole time. Hopefully whatever innate magic is in this place will help ground you in the temple when you dream.”

Tony nodded and reclined onto the cot with a smile, the tingling in his chest not subsiding in the least as he laid himself down.

Levi fluttered over to him, laying itself over him and Tony grabbed the inside of the fabric and pulled it over his shoulders. “Doesn’t beat body heat but I can settle with this.” He grinned, staring back at Stephen with a half lidded gaze.

“You settle and we’ll consider proper sleepovers another time, hm?” Stephen chuckled, reaching to brush at Tony’s hair before settling himself on the floor in lotus position, taking a couple of deep breaths.

“Sweet dreams Tony.” He smiled, and as his hands began their motions, the lights of the walls around them seemed to brighten a bit before the spell took effect, ushering Tony off to his dreamscape.

Tony let his eyes fall closed and soon enough with the light fuzzy feeling in his, chest he was under.

 

* * *

 

Antonio poked and prodded at the small little invention on his desk.

A messy work station littered with tools and half-finished projects surrounded him. With delicate movements he nudged the cogs of each piece into place, setting springs and coils, notches and buttons until all the little pieces were finally installed and snapped the casing of the device closed.

With a welding torch he’d fashioned himself, he sealed up the casing with solder and then grabbed a small graphite stick. Antonio stood up, moving the device over to a piece of parchment, he set it down in a ring he’d pre-drawn, piles of different reagents encircling it in small trays. He set the catalyst with a lit match and in a moment there was an explosion and smoke billowed off of the device.

What once was lifeless now moved - a small metal golem had sprung to life with slow movements, arms and legs articulating, head turning curiously as its parts glowed with a vibrant blue energy, the same energy as his reactor.

“Hey Vin! Come take a look at this - I finally did it!” He grinned, and poked at the small artificial life.

The druid seemed alarmed as he descended the staircase into the smithy and gave the alchemist a concerned look. His eyes flicked over to the forge with some unease at the fire that sat there, seeking a few other potential sources for the sound of the explosion before slowly making his way to the other man.

His antlers had grown back again a fair bit - enough so that a full, larger rack once more sat atop his head - and the streaks of grey along the sides of his head seemed a little more pronounced as he made his way towards Antonio and his now animated automaton.

“What’s this…? Hello there…” Vien greeted the construct cheerfully enough, though his arms curled around his entirely mussed up lover at first as he watched the creature move about on its own. “I can sense it… it feels like you, Nio.”

Antonio looked up only to be met with the bottom of the druid’s chin as he leaned over him to inspect the new ‘invention.’

“I built him then used alchemy and some of the magic from my reactor to bring it to life… I think this is the first successful one I’ve made. Well, the _only_ one but all previous attempts yielded no results.” He leaned into his mate’s embrace and brought a hand up to gently poke at the golem - which in turn responded with a few mechanical sounding chirrups as it turned its head to inspect the two large figures in front.

“He’s got a little bit of me in him - and I made him for you.”

“For me…?” Vien inquired as he watched it with curiosity, reaching his own hand out to the mechanical creature in greeting. “Hello little one. Congratulations on your new life.” He smiled warmly, nuzzling at Antonio’s hair briefly as he gently pet the automaton with a look of utter contentment.

“I suppose this means we have a son, Nio. What shall we name him?” The question came with a series of kisses pressed along the alchemist’s neck along with a light, affectionate nuzzle.

Antonio ran his hand along the druid’s arm in a soothing gesture.

“I used to have a squire back when I lived in the village, a persistent kid - good heart, a lot of promise. His name was Peter... How does Pete sound?”

The golem got up and started walking around, noticing the cloak who seemed to move around on both sides of the men, curiously inspecting the new autonomous creature.

“Unless you want to name it something I can’t pronounce.” He teased softly.

“It’s not my fault you can’t pronounce my name.” Vien huffed playfully, giving Antonio’s ear a little nip. Still the druid gave the golem a warm smile and slowly released Antonio to gather up the living construct in his hands for a better introduction.

“What do you think? Do you approve of the name Pete? I quite like it.” He chimed as the cloak fluttered closer and twisted around them in interest all its own. Vien’s eyes were alight with utter pleasure as he looked between their ‘son’ and his mate with utmost joy. “Thank you, Nio. I love him.”

Another soft chirrup came from the golem and it simply continued to observe the two men almost curiously, turning and rotating its head.

“Hey! I’ve tried, so many times. I think it’s much more noble that I just stopped butchering it all together and saved myself the embarrassment, and you the insult.” Antonio whined softly, he hunched his shoulders rather ticklishly, trying to hide away from Vien’s fangs.

Holding the golem against his chest, Vien gave the alchemist a long, playfully judging look for a few moments before offering a little smirk. “You have a clever enough tongue to figure it all out. If you don’t practice how will you ever learn to say my name? Or speak any of the incantations I’ve been writing down? Calling me ‘Vin’ or ‘Vinny’ or ‘Vien’ are all well and good, but they’re not my name… and names have _power_ in magic, never forget that.”

The druid bowed his head to place a gentle kiss on the top of the golem’s whirring little head, whispering something softly and allowing Pete to glow brighter for a brief moment before it faded back to its natural state of consciousness. “Pete… May you learn and gather what knowledge you can. You will be the only heir to the knowledge of the druids. You have a lot to learn little one.”

The alchemist may have been caught up in the moment trying to mentally pronounce the druid’s _actual name_ , but his attentions were soon distracted by the most heartwarming scene ever with Vien softly cooing and crooning at the little golem.

He hadn’t expected him to take so fondly to it - maybe a gift of some sort, inanimate? No, he was treated like a son and there seemed to be some power the alchemist had imbued the small creature with that he didn’t know he had the abilities too, like a hidden potential he had just begun to tap into?

As the cloak swirled around the druid to take in the golem with interest, Vien hummed softly. “You be gentle with him. He’s small and has a lot to learn,” he instructed.

The cloak gave a distinct nod before reaching out to brush a corner against the automaton slowly. It gave plenty of time to make sure Vien wouldn’t be upset with it, while simultaneously being certain their small son wouldn’t be frightened off.

The golem reached up a small arm and gave a quiet squeak of greeting to the fabric, which responded with an excited swish in the air.

Vien simply laughed in delight as he set the golem down and moved to wrap his arms around Antonio again.

“... thank you, my love. This means a lot to me.”

Antonio bowed his head and pressed it in against the druid's chest, eyes closed as he rested his forehead along Vien’s collarbone, planting a short kiss just below before looking up into his lover’s eyes.

“I’m glad, anything for you Ščevjen…” It felt like a gross mispronunciation of the druid’s actual name, but an attempt nonetheless.

The alchemist looked off to the side in his folly, sheepish but he knew his partner wouldn’t fault him for trying. "I'm glad you like him..."

He planted a kiss on the druid’s chin before resting his head down against his shoulder, looking off to where the cloak was playing with the golem.

The druid’s smile was utterly radiant as he leaned to kiss the top of the alchemist’s head a couple of times happily. “... that was very good. Tuck the tip of your tongue back a little further in your mouth when you pronounce the ‘če’ and you’ll have it about perfect.”

Vien’s fingers brushed at his mate’s hair as he nestled his nose there for a moment before resting his cheek on Antonio’s head. They both observed the cowl’s antics even as the automaton toddled along on the floor, taking some of its first steps to start exploring life.

“You should eat soon, Nio. You’ve been cooped up in here for a little while now.”

Antonio nodded his head, proud as the sun that he managed to actually pronounce his lover’s name for the most part. It was a small thing, but it meant something big to him. He returned the gentle squeeze to his mate and shut his eyes, basking in the  other’s embrace.

 

* * *

  
It was hard to tell where the dream ended and his waking world took over as Tony regained lucidity, because for a moment he swore that he was awake, but still felt the embrace of the druid’s arms.

It took him a moment to realize it wasn’t the druid, but in fact Stephen curled up beside him on the small cot, limbs tangled and mingled so they could both awkwardly fit.

_Hmmm._

The cloak was draped over the both of them and it awoke with the engineer, huddling them together.

“I don’t know how this happened but I’m not complaining in the least.” He chuckled softly, pulling his head back a bit so he could look at Stephen’s placid face.

The sorcerer made a soft noise as Tony drew his head away, adjusting to tuck it in close again as his fingers curled absently against the fabric of Tony’s shirt.

The cloak gave the pair a little squeeze and a greeting nudge to Tony’s cheek and Stephen gave another soft noise, starting to shift in his spot and raise a hand to conceal a slight yawn.

Soon enough he peeked an eye open before looking briefly surprised. “... mmm… hi there…?”

“Before you jump to conclusions - it wasn’t me, I literally just woke up.” Were the first words out of Tony’s mouth as he looked down at the hand curled into his shirt. “I mean at least I found it a nice surprise when I woke up how you’d managed to weasel your way into this cot with me...” He teased softly, chortling at Stephen’s puzzled expression.

It almost seemed a bit much for him.

“But I didn’t…” The sorcerer started, looking utterly perplexed as he followed Tony’s gaze to his hand, but didn’t move. “... I don’t remember falling asleep. I should’ve… just been meditating beside you not… on the cot…”

Stephen wasn’t in any rush as he sat up slowly, rubbing at his face sleepily again and looking around the temple with a good deal of confusion. “... But I don’t remember you falling asleep either. What… happened?”

There was a cold draft that breezed through the vault and Tony pulled the cloak further over his shoulders as his _personal heating device_ moved away.

“I laid down and the last thing I remember was watching you induce the sleep spell. We definitely didn’t fall asleep together that’s for sure. You really don’t remember climbing into the cot?” Tony pushed his head into the side of Stephen’s leg stubbornly, still refusing to rise.

“No… I really don’t.” The sorcerer’s confusion seemed to grow as he looked around, observing the walls for a moment before looking to the cloak.

“Did I climb into the cot? Do you remember?” The cloak gave a pair of pats, a pause and a single pat that left Stephen looking steadily more lost.

“How did I get in the cot then? … How did I fall _asleep_ ?” A hand ran through the man’s short hair as he stared thoughtfully at his lap and then wrinkled his nose. “I’m very confused by all of this to be perfectly honest. I don’t really know _what_ happened… do you at least recall any of your dream? I don’t know how well I’ll be able to clarify things since… I wasn’t dreamwalking.”

Tony nodded. “Vividly, it was more of a short flashback though and less of a sequence.” Tony didn’t bother budging, he was warm and so was Stephen - not to mention comfortable and enjoying some part of the sorcerer pressed up against him.

“I was down in the study working on some sort of miniature construct built of metal and stone - a small golem. It was my first successful attempt at using alchemy and magic together to breathe life into something, it was sentient.

When I saw that I’d successfully created this thing - I called you down and you… You were so happy when I gave it to you… You wanted to accept it as a son, _our son_.” Tony trailed off, he was much more free with his descriptions now after their revelation but some things were still difficult to express.

“We named him, and I also almost properly pronounced your real name…”

“Mmm… _Pete_ yes of course…” Stephen chuckled a little bit softly at that, giving Tony a perfectly affectionate smile. “It seems you and Peter were also tied together by the strings of fate, because it seems too coincidental to be chance. I vaguely have a recollection of that… feelings more than memories but…”

Grey eyes fell upon the cloak again and he gave the fabric a smile. “Were you and Pete friends?”

The cloak gave a rather wild flail and an entirely too excited pat in response to that, taking off into the air and spinning about rather exuberantly. “I take it you two got on well then,” The sorcerer laughed.

Seeing no criticism or judgement in his portrayal of the recollection Tony finally pulled himself up from his reclined position. He slipped his legs over the side of the cot.

“So you do remember some of it then - I figured you would have recalled more of it. I don’t think we quite have our answer yet though.” The engineer watched as the cloak came down to rest with the both of them again, wedging itself up in between the two men.

“I’m afraid I don’t remember much, no. I feel like I remembered Pete because… it felt important to me. Like you said…” he hesitated briefly, “ _our son_ ... I have just a sense of warmth and joy and a feeling of _family_. But that’s most of what I recall. There was nothing about a door or lock in your dream?” Stephen inquired as he sighed softly, leaning against the cloak - and Tony by extension. “You said something about saying my real name… I don’t really recall anything like that. Do you remember what that name was? Do you suppose it has anything to do with the lock?”

“You made mention that your name was important - there was power in names… Something to do with hidden incantations and that your language was important to being able to access certain spells by speech.” Tony squinted and tried to remember how he heard the alchemist say it.

“Sh-chey-vee-en? Or… Ščevjen? I know what it sounds like in my head but I’m having a hard time actually saying it.” Tony felt something of how he did in the dream when he’d _also messed up the name_.

“Names have been said to hold power in magic for thousands of years,” Stephen mused quietly. “Old magic used to allow you to create bonds with entities by use of their name, though as magic has evolved it’s… still important to _know_ the names of certain entities in order to maintain a connection with them or to draw on their power, but for the most part people spellcasting by incantation has gone by the wayside. Needing a verbal component to cast a spell just makes for one more way to keep a caster from using magic. We _needed_ to evolve beyond that… but perhaps there’s a verbal component to the spells in the book. I don’t know why I hadn’t considered that…”

Taking a few moments to think about it, Stephen hummed thoughtfully as he leaned his head against Tony’s lightly. “I’m afraid I can’t fix your pronunciation though if you’re not sure how it sounds. I might be relying on you to figure out how to pronounce things in the book unless I can…” He trailed off.

“That would make a lot of sense - it could also have something to do with that feeling I’ve been sensing inside the reactor as well.” Tony smiled brightly, his dimples showing as he nudged his cheek into Stephen’s.

He plucked the sorcerer’s hand out of his lap and squeezed it.

“I saw exactly how this energy was imbued into the golem in the dream, part of it was druidic influence but deep down I knew a large part of it was also me… The magic already existed inside me, I just needed to learn how to use it properly.”

“Is that what you think it is?” Stephen asked softly as he watched their hands, slowly threading his fingers between Tony’s before holding his hand lightly. “The feeling in your reactor, you think it’s magic…?” He didn’t sound as though he was doubtful, more curious and seeking clarification. He was, in some way, contemplating that possibility.

“Quite possibly.” Tony squeezed that hand in his. “It felt a lot like the energy of the reactor but at the same time different, more fuzzy feeling - softer? Also more lively and organic… I feel like I have a better understanding of it now than I did before.” The engineer reached up to touch the reactor softly, looking back up to Stephen after.

“Like I said, I couldn’t sense any anomalies before. I’m not wholly sure what to make of it. There might be something residual here that interacts with your reactor in response to its similarities to the alchemist’s? You said before that there were some structural similarities, right?” The sorcerer offered him a thoughtful look. “Though I’d expect you know considerably more about that kind of thing than I do.”

“They aren’t exactly the same, but in base concept I think that might just be enough for the magic? I honestly have no idea how magic works in terms of this kind of stuff. It’s not even like the science of this all entirely makes sense to me outside of what I’ve already seen. This whole magic and technology deal.” The engineer ran a hand through his hair.

Stephen frowned a little as he got himself up, looking at Tony and summoning the book with his free hand. “Do you mind if I take a look at the reactor again? Compare it to the one in the book? I know you said the design in the book is based on an older model - and a schematic of that one would also be great if you have one handy - but if it’s affecting your current one potentially then… maybe my scanning it magically like I did before isn’t the right course of action. Maybe the smarter thing to do is to compare the three diagrams and figure out if you haven’t _already_ built something that’s somehow harnessing a type of magic I can’t currently sense or… perhaps I’m struggling to separate from the essence of _you_ ? Druidic magic _is_ life magic and you mentioned it feeling more lively and organic...”

Tony procured his tablet and pulled it out. He gently set the tablet on his lap.

“Fri, bring me up the prototype for the arc reactor, not the small one - the _big boy_ we used to have powering the old facility.” In a flash the diagram for the old reactor popped up on screen and Tony reached into the holo schematics and expanded it, setting one window aside of the part compiled as one and then another with it pulled apart.

Next he set up the current reactor’s design at the side and also collapsed it’s build to compare.

“Alright, show me the picture.”

Stephen had apparently been at work shifting through the pages of the book in the time Tony had been pulling up schematics, leaving him to simply set the book between the two of them on the cot to look over, illuminated by the holograms of the more recent reactors.

“Someone told me before that artifacts are objects imbued with magic that’s too powerful for us to harness and control on our own. Because of how powerful that energy is I always assumed that had to do with why artifacts chose their owners rather than owners choosing their artifacts.

”As it turns out with Levi it’s… not that simple always. I have good reason to believe now that Levi chose me because of familiarity - because it knows me in a sense…” The sorcerer murmured, glancing to the cloak for confirmation and receiving a very gentle tap.

“But that doesn’t mean that’s somehow _not_ the case for your reactor. Theoretically we _could_ assume that your reactor is somehow a type of artifact that’s similarly been imbued with magic _knowing_ the wielder was not capable of sustaining magic at all on their own. It’s possible that it could have been wielded by a sufficiently talented sorcerer - or perhaps a druid - but that it simply wasn’t the _purpose_ of the artifact… in which case, it might have required a unique design. A unique… _something_ that made it usable to a non-magic user. That’s what I’m looking for in the design…”

Giving a soft sigh, Stephen shook his head. “The trouble is I’ve never _created_ an artifact myself, I’ve only wielded some. So I’m not entirely sure _what_ to look for in them…”

“So it would all make sense and only further confirm that there's something deeply rooted between all of us.” Tony poked and prodded at the schematics and noticed something underneath each design - specifically the rune form the first in relation to conducting plates and circuitry to the next which _almost in a way resembled the old design._

He was about to say something and then just… _spaced out._

 

* * *

 

Antonio hissed as the druid began to shed him of his tunic, checking on his wounds from the previous days. Careful hands slid the fabric over top of the patched up scratches on his shoulder and there was a frustrated noise that had left Vien’s mouth.

“You’ve reopened some of your wounds again - I told you to take it easy.” He focused on the glowing reactor on the engineer’s chest - he debated whether or not to ask.

“Yeah… it was an accident - I was trying to do some heavy lifting and kind of… probably overestimated what I could carry.” Antonio looked rather sheepish as he offered his excuse.

Another soft sigh came from the druid and fresh salves were rubbed over the weeping gashes before they were wrapped in fresh bindings around his shoulders and over his chest.

“What is _this_ anyways? It’s always been curious to me - it gives off a faint magic, familiar but old...” Vien narrowed his eyes and tilted his head at the reactor.

“Oh that? It’s just a piece of tech - _it's a long story_ \- one that kind of got me into my fascination with magic…”

“Well, we have time.”

Vien lowered his head some to focus more pointedly on the thing that protruded from Antonio’s chest.

He was certainly understating _how_ familiar the object felt - over the short time he’d known the alchemist there had always been an odd draw. Not unlike his Home Tree, the glowing object gave him a feeling of life and power… something that didn’t feel _human_ to him and despite the damage it had caused, the Home Tree also seemed to allow it to heal from the damage without leaving severe markings.

The more he engaged with Antonio the more like family the man felt, and for a human to feel like family was abnormal in every way.

There were reasons he’d brought the man home after his encounter with Vien’s traps - for a brief moment he’d mistaken the man for a druid by his magical presence, and he’d wondered if perhaps there had been survivors who had simply traveled to find safety elsewhere for a time and were finally returning home.

But that didn’t turn out to be the case and he still didn’t have was an explanation for it all.

“Well, I was out hunting one day with my father - I used to hunt for sport. I came face-to-face with the wrong animal one day, we’d just finished our expedition and I went to the river to wash my knife and bow when I was attacked by a bear. I was nearly mauled to death… For some reason, the animal stopped.

“By then I was on my deathbed, the animal had chunked and gored my chest, torn my arm to pieces. I thought I would bleed out. Then, a druid came over, probably a guardian or a caretaker much like yourself and he brought me back to a tree much similar to this one. It was smaller, but still expansive.I don’t remember how he did it but when I woke up I had this thing in my chest and whatever it was - spread down my arm like roots and the torn flesh mended itself.

“I stayed under the druid’s care for days until I could walk again, then he deposited me at the edge of the forest, told me his name and to leave and never return…” The alchemist trailed off, his expression going bleak.

“That must have been a rather traumatizing experience…” Vien sighed softly, though he felt the ache and pain of the needless loss of life at the notion of hunting for sport.

No wonder the bear had been aggressive, yet he could only imagine what the experience must’ve been like for Antonio, to be alone and afraid - a child for how Vien imagined him, which made him feel still more sad.

Yet the alchemist’s words somehow didn’t match with his actions - after what he’d been through and being _told_ not to return to the forest he’d clearly done so anyway.

“Why did you come back after all that…?”

“I felt like I was being pulled towards the forest - like an instinctual connection in some ways. I knew better and avoided the forest for years afterwards, traumatized. Eventually I went anyways. There were things that happened, strange coincidences that seemed a little too good to be true and I just… never really understood what this thing in me really was? All I know is it keeps me alive and sometimes it acts up and I just feel different and more connected to the world around me.

“And whoever put it in me had some knowledge with man-made sciences - well more advanced than our own.”

“It radiates magic.” Vien stated clearly. “Whatever it is… it feels familiar to me as well. When you first showed up I thought… maybe you were another one of us _coming home_. I brought you to the tree at first thinking maybe I wasn’t the only one still alive. Maybe I wasn’t _alone_ but…” That wasn’t what he meant to get into.

This wasn’t about him.

“But you have some druidic magic in you. The roots you talked about… the same thing happened to me with my hands. Mother came to you to help you… and our magic doesn’t just take to anyone. If a druid helped you and came to your aid and was able to imbue you with this… then Mother has a purpose for you or you’ve done something _very_ right by her.”

“Mother?” The alchemist parroted. “I don’t think I quite follow…” He flexed his newly wrapped injuries and looked to the druid with an inquisitive expression. “And why did you send me away even when you could detect the magic?” Antonio showed him the glowing root-like marks as he held his arm out.

“Mother…” Vien repeated and gave the tree around them a pointed look. “Mother nature. Our mother. Our provider.” How Antonio didn’t know that Vien could only assume had to do with his upbringing, but it explained a few of the human’s odd behaviours.

“And I should think it’s obvious why I sent you away. Magic or no, I’m the only guardian left of these forests. You felt familiar but for all I knew it was a trick. I didn’t know you. You might’ve tried to kill me and I only knew you as a human. I knew you for what your kind had done.

“With that said… I _also brought you back_ . I could have directed you away - maybe I _should_ have - but you were the only familiarity I still had… the only link to the past I still had… and the only company I’d had in a _very long time_.”

It was sad in a way, to vocalize that he had been living on his own and then the only chance at having some semblance of familiarity meant risking his own safety but the alchemist flashed the druid a smile, accepting the hearty explanation.

“I’m glad you did let me in, it’s been really nice to get to know you Vien.”

“You _say_ that but look at you. Look at the mess I’ve made of you,” Vien huffed softly, gesturing to the bandages along his chest and shoulders. “I’m starting to think whoever told you to stay out of the forests was warning you to protect you from _yourself!_ ”

“Are you implying that I need an adult, Vien?” The alchemist grinned and pulled on his shirt over his shoulders, not bothering to do it up. “Because I don’t think that’s something I’d fight you on at this point.”

“You at least need supervision, _clearly._ ” The druid chuckled softly in return. “Luckily, I can see through many eyes to make sure you’re not doing foolish things.”

 

* * *

  

Tony seemed to snap out of whatever stupor he’d been in, he almost seemed lost for a moment. Like his mind had gone blank or he was waking up from a dream. He still seemed a bit out of it even as the flashback had come to its conclusion and well after.

“Tony? _Tony!_ ” Fingers snapped in front of his face as a concerned Stephen had moved in front of him, leaning over him with his face in front of Tony’s, brows knitted together. “Come on you’re scaring me… Tony…?”

His gaze redirected to the cloak as his fretting started to peak. “Alright, we’re taking him back to the Sanctum.”

The cloak fluttered over to the engineer's shoulders and latched on, picking him up and lifting him up - the engineer panicked, flinching as he was disturbed.

“What- huh? Stephen?” Tony looked around. “Hey... what’s going on? Put me down!” The brunette was confused as he looked to Stephen.

“... you’ve had enough for today. I think _we’ve_ had enough for today.” Stephen’s tone expressed a certain harshness though the expression on his face made it clear it stemmed from worry more than anything else.

“We’re going back to the Sanctum and out of this place. I don’t know what just happened but… you were catatonic for nearly five minutes. All of this isn’t as important right now as your well-being and I have good reasons to be concerned about it given I’ve been trying to snap you out of it for a while now.”

“I had a flashback… I remembered something - I saw the druid.” Tony couldn’t help as the cloak flew him out of the portal and into Stephen’s room.

Tony flailed somewhat trying to find purchase with his feet. “Stephen I’m seriously fine, it was just another flashback.” Flailing was going to get him nowhere so he just allowed himself to be carried off like a ragdoll with a none-too-pleasant look on his face.

“ _Five minutes_ of being _catatonic_ is not **fine** Tony!” The doctor stated as he allowed the portal to close behind him, watching as the cloak gently deposited the engineer on the bed.

“We were talking and you were suddenly just… utterly unresponsive. I tried calling you, I tried shaking you, I’m worried about using too much magic on you in that place because I’m vaguely concerned that’s what’s causing this kind of thing but… is this what happened when you got hurt? This kind of flashback?”

Tony didn’t want to answer that second question, he felt there would be some sort of consequence for letting Stephen know but it wasn’t him to lie - the best he could do was deflect. “Well, not necessarily that long but...

“Stephen.” Tony reached forward to the sorcerer’s shoulders and gently placed a hand on either side. “I’m fine, trust me… There’s nothing to worry about.” He gently brushed a hand along his jaw.

“Don’t.” Stephen stated rather sharply, stepping away from the bed to gather something from the bathroom. “ _Don’t_ try to tell me you’re just _fine_ after that! Don’t write off what _could_ be an issue, especially if this isn’t the first time! _This_ is what I was afraid of in getting you any further involved with the book! This is what I was trying to _solve_ by getting… where the fuck did I put… oh _there it is_.”

Tony sighed as he watched the magus frantically traipse about the room. After his brief moment of distraction Stephen returned with his medical bag and it was perfectly clear what Tony was in for.

“If I had it _my_ way you’d be going in for an EEG and an MRI to make sure there’s nothing actively fucking with your brain, but given this is more likely _magically_ induced you’re just going to sit there and _listen to the doctor in this building_ \- do you understand me? You have _no idea_ how badly you just scared me! So _do_ **_not_ ** try and tell me you’re _fine_ and just brush this off!”

Stephen’s voice was abrasive - much more abrasive than he’d anticipated. Tony’s hands were in his lap, bunching up the sheets of the bed - heart pounding so fast he didn’t even know why. Sure Tony was a bit of a careless act sometimes, but he was also calculated.

Stephen’s blowup should have been nothing and he could have easily shrugged it off, but at the same time he felt growing anxiety. The tingling in his chest seemed to persist now of all times and he sat there, pliant to Stephen’s demands.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I just didn’t think it was anything.” It wasn’t even a battle between Tony’s stubbornness and Stephen's concern - he conceded immediately.

It distressed _him_ to see Stephen so unravelled, almost as if the feelings were being _mirrored and reflected_ somehow.

It took Stephen a few more moments to slowly calm down as he sat on the bed and stared at Tony sternly. In the end he didn’t open the bag, using his arms instead to wrap tightly around the engineer and pull him against his form.

Stephen sunk his face to hide against Tony’s neck and shoulders, shaking a little.

“... I’m… I’m sorry. You scared me, Tony. I tried to bring you back around, but you were just… completely unresponsive. Your eyes were out of focus, your body was rigid… you didn’t say a word, just stared off into the distance - stared _through_ me - and after earlier’s weird nap situation I’m… a little on edge.”

Tony swallowed the nervous lump that had formed in his throat.

The switch from red to green had thrown him off and he could only respond by wrapping his arms firmly around the sorcerer’s shoulders and caging the man in a reassuring embrace.

“Shh-shh-shh Stephen it’s… over now. I’m responsive again. You can check me out if you want, I’ll even go get a scan if it makes you feel better.” He crooned softly running his fingers through the sorcerer’s hair and gently peppering a soft kiss on the top of his head.

He kept his face there, half-lidded eyes as he tried to run his hands up and down along the wizard’s back.

“We can take some time away from this stuff if it makes you feel better - safer about all of this.”

“We should. We need… to get away from all of this for a bit. I’m really starting to worry about the effect it’s having on not just _you_ but me too… I’ll just supervise you for the mean time and if this gets worse I’m bringing you to a hospital.” Stephen murmured in his spot, nearly incoherent with the way his face was tucked away.

After a few deep breaths the sorcerer slowly sat up, reaching to take each of Tony’s hands. “In the meantime... let’s get out of here. Let me… take you to lunch? … on a proper date?”

He was clearly anxious as he asked and given where he was coming from on the matter it wasn’t as much of a surprise that he was anxious as that he’d even worked up the nerve to ask about a date so directly to begin with.

Still, he watched Tony’s face rather intently as he did.

“Finally surfaced for air then, have we?” Tony let out a soft chortle, his whole body shook amused as Stephen looked at him. “How could I ever say no? I’m looking forward to an outing we can both mutually say is a date” Tony fidgeted with the sorcerer’s gentle grasp, running his fingers over his knuckles soothingly.

“Now that I can tote you around as _my_ boyfriend.” He added softly, that second part though he tread with a bit more caution as he mirrored the sorcerer’s gaze.

“As long as we’re nowhere near here to begin with… I still need _some_ time to adjust? I’m not… exactly sure where I’m sitting regarding say _the Avengers_ needing to know about any of this? But… how would you feel about an evening in Kathmandu?” Stephen’s expression became more expectedly shy as he continued to speak and the back and forth of his desires to push out of his comfort zone warred with his deeply rooted fear of an issue cropping up regarding his sexuality.

“Of course Stephen, we’ll take things at your pace.” He smiled and gave his hands another soft squeeze. “I mean we could stop by the moon while we're at it - joking, I’d like to see where this all happened.” He grinned and nodded at the very man in front of him.

Tony leaned over and planted a kiss on the sorcerer's cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish:
> 
>    
> [Amy (Foxglove)](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral (Bravehardt)](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	16. Dumplings

“I didn’t explore much of Kathmandu’s night life while I was studying at Kamar-Taj, I will admit.” Stephen offered as they stepped through a portal into one of the courtyards of Kamar-Taj.

Night had fallen over Kathmandu a good many hours before and even speaking quietly Stephen’s voice seemed to echo off of the familiar stones of the temple. He was a bit nervous about all of this, his casual black t-shirt and jeans accented by the cloak doing its best impression of a scarf. His hand curled around Tony’s tightly enough that he was sure he’d suffer the ache for it later, but at the moment it didn’t really matter.. 

In the meantime he wasn’t letting go of the engineer if he could help it - he was  _ excited _ for this date as much as he was tied up in knots over it.

He knew he could be good fun on a date - and despite this being a date with another  _ man, _ in the end a date was still a date and Stephen knew a thing or two about them. 

While he may not have known much about Kathmandu’s nightlife per say he still managed to learn a thing or two about Kathmandu itself and had a few ideas for places that might be of interest to the engineer when it came to exploring. Plus, he couldn’t skip out on sharing his favourite non-sweet with Tony.

“Boudhanath is a bit of a walk from here, but if you’re up for the exercise it’s beautiful at night,” He suggested quietly to try and keep from waking any of the students that might be sleeping. He guided the engineer through the halls of the temple and towards the entrance at a reasonably brisk pace. 

“They light up candles and there are strings of prayer flags that reflect the light. There are shops and restaurants all around there so… we can get something to eat once we get there. If you’re fine with the walk we can take the time to discuss some other places to visit while we’re here. That is, if you’d like, but if you’re not feeling like wandering the streets of Kathmandu at night I’m sure we can discreetly  _ find ourselves there _ in short time.”

Tony seemed to spin and look around distracted as they waltzed through the courtyard of the sanctuary, trying to apparently take in every detail of the environment from the ornate stone architecture to the beautiful vista beyond the Kamar-Taj grounds.

The hallways of the grounds were likewise just as ornately decorated with care. Halls darkened, lit only in small pockets by the amber firelight from the small candles. It was like they were travelling through a tunnel and once Tony had stopped fidgeting like an over excited kid he managed to slip his hand free. Rather than holding onto Stephen’s hand he snuck that arm around the sorcerer’s waist and towed him in to his side, hooking his fingers around his hips.

“So this is it huh? I don’t think I’ve actually been to this part of the globe before. Business had me travelling a lot but not here. You lead the way and we’ll walk - I think our legs could use the exercise with all the time we’ve spent sitting and laying down in that temple. Plus, you know  _ being weak in the knees _ and all for me...” Tony quirked his brows playfully.

“If there was any weakness of knees I’d suggest we  _ shouldn’t _ walk, but I’m not sure what weakness of knees you’re referring to.” Stephen chuckled softly, draping his arm over Tony’s shoulders casually enough despite the weird fluttering thing his heart did when Tony’s arm snaked around his waist.

His steps slowed to allow the engineer to indulge in the sights while they were inside, though as the entrance grew closer he reached to open and hold the door for the other with a smile. “It’s… rather unlike anything we have in the US to be out here. At some point perhaps we should come back when it’s daytime. The view from Chandragiri Hill on a nice day will show off Mount Everest but also many of the Himalayan ranges. There’s a cable car up the hill that shows off some pretty beautiful vistas as well.”

"I can't imagine this will be the last time we end up coming here. By the sounds of it this place is something we will need to come back to… and we do have our whole lives ahead of us." Tony gave Stephen's waist a gentle squeeze as his eyes fixed on the passing sights. 

It was definitely a vast change of pace for the two and it was apparent that Tony was a little more invested than the engineer had initially let on.

"What if my knees  _ were _ weak would you  _ carry me then _ ?”

Stephen was quiet for a few moments, watching Tony rather than the scenes around them despite guiding them towards Boudhanath. 

While he might have considered this their first  _ proper _ date, in hindsight it was impossible to write off the fact that Tony had  _ tried _ to take him on a date before - he’d even called it their first date as he was saying good night in a time that felt so long ago. 

Despite what he’d put Tony through and his resistance to everything Tony had offered, and even despite his panicked outburst earlier when Tony had become unresponsive, the engineer was still talking about the rest of their lives in a way that felt very much like he meant ‘together’ and the thought was surprisingly comforting.

“I would find some way to carry you if you so much as  _ asked, _ Tony. You don’t need an excuse. If there are any places you’d like to just go… breakfast in France and lunch in India? These are things we can do.”

"Okay? How about breakfast in bed, together.  _ You said anything! _ " Tony looked the sorcerer in the eye with an earnest disposition. "Now hear me out, I don't mean anything other than falling asleep and waking up together.  _ Nothing more. _ " He smiled, his fingers dancing against the doctor's side to try and tickle him as he leaned in and snuck a kiss. 

The sorcerer wriggled a little in an attempt to escape the other’s fingers as he chuckled a bit softly, watching the engineer.

"I know you can do all of that and more than I can imagine. But I wouldn't mind the simpler pleasures too. Small things, Stephen." His fingers stopped their relentless assault and he simply rubbed the other man's side.

“Didn’t we do that falling asleep and waking up together thing earlier?” Stephen asked with a warm smile. “But I suppose if that wasn’t satisfactory we can make other arrangements…” It was about the little things. 

It wasn’t like Stephen had never had a sleepover with other boys when he was a kid and while there would be a bit of a contextual difference in sharing a bed with Tony more intentionally than he had earlier, his nerves didn’t seem as anxious as they had before about it - maybe because of their earlier cuddle session. It was hard to say.

“Though, I am surprised that  _ you _ of all people indulge in  _ simple _ pleasures.”

"Oh cupcake, don't get me wrong, earlier was lovely but that didn't really count. I didn't get to sweet talk and coo into your ear, there was no obligatory tickle session and the tired pillow talk before one of us passes out." Tony tucked himself into Stephen's side a bit more. "There was no breakfast in bed, not even a good-morning kiss! I've been robbed of what I rightfully deserve!”

"That is the list of my demands." Tony joked softly. "And of course I enjoy the simple pleasures. I am still human Stephen..."

“Sweet talk, cooing, tickle sessions,  _ and _ tired pillow talk?” Stephen recited. “I’m not sure how you expect any tickling from me given the state of my hands. But I might be able to arrange the breakfast in bed… maybe even a good morning kiss if you’re not being too much of a cheeky brat.”

“I think that just leaves you at a disadvantage, don't expect me to go easy on you - you’re also a wizard so you can’t call handicap on this one because you’re basically a bag of tricks.” Tony bit back with playful challenge, emphasizing his point with a gentle prod in the sorcerer’s side.

“You’re expecting me to use  _ magic _ for little bedtime games are you? What do you think I am, some kind of cheat?” Stephen laughed softly, batting at Tony’s hand with his free one as he led them into the plaza surrounding the brightly lit Boudhanath. “I’ll just let the cloak protect me.”

“We both know the cloak will take my side without question.” The engineer allowed his hand to be slapped out of the way, instead he hooked his pinky through the belt loop of Stephen’s pants, having to ride up his shirt a bit to do so.

“What do you think, Levi? Are you going to let Tony tickle me when I can’t defend myself?” Stephen inquired of the scarf draped around his neck, which simply didn’t move in the slightest. After awaiting an answer for a few long moments, the sorcerer smiled a little and looked to Tony. “I guess we’ll find out when the time comes, won’t we? Or maybe I  _ will _ cheat and you’ll regret it…”

He didn’t make much pomp of their arrival, glancing around at some of the surrounding restaurants in search of something that might work for a lunch destination. “What kind of restaurant atmosphere are you looking for? Places closer to tourist locations always tend to have inflated prices and are meant to cater to more tourist-y appetites, but I’m sure if we peek down an alley or two around here we’ll find something a little more… authentically Nepalese.”

“I guess we  _ will _ have to wait and see...” Tony was so busy poking at Stephen that it took him a moment to realize his surroundings.

A massive building with strings of lights of all different hues cascading down each thread met his eyes immediately. The main building itself was attached to each one in a web that expanded outwards to connect to other walls and buildings surrounded by merchants and other local restaurants.

“Take me to some hole-in-the wall food joint that's going to be the real-deal. Those places always have the best cuisine. You spent time here so you must have something you want to show me? A favourite cuisine, something specific to this region?” Tony grinned.

“Momos.” Stephen responded with a pleased smile as he watched Tony take in the surroundings happily. “I absolutely love momos and I was very much intent on introducing you to them at some point while we were here for certain. Given the time we should probably grab something to eat first and then wander around the area after so that the restaurants don’t all close before we get to eating.”

With his smile fixed happily on his face - and an enthusiasm for momos in his stomach - Stephen began to lead Tony around the stupa before leading him down a smaller alley towards a restaurant that seemed oddly modern once they were inside. 

It wasn’t  _ fancy _ to look at, with its bright yellow walls and dark wooden tables and chairs that didn’t look like they were  _ exactly _ comfortable, but Stephen led the engineer towards a slightly tucked away booth since the restaurant was unsurprisingly fairly empty at that time of night. The engineer followed, sliding into the booth beside Stephen and sandwiching him into the corner with a grin.

“Alright, now you’re going to explain to me that a momo wasn’t the flying monkey from Avatar, right? So what exactly are they?” He leaned over onto the table. A server setting down a couple glasses of water after they’d took their seats saying they would be right with them.

“I never saw Avatar so I can’t make any clarifications on whether there was a flying monkey named Momo. But when I’m talking about momos I’m talking about South Asian dumplings - quite specifically of the sort offered in Kathmandu Valley because that’s really the only kind of momo I’m at all familiar with. Given my sweet tooth I doubt it’s at all surprising that I’m also a fan of khoa. Momos are made a couple of ways and filled with different types of meat, vegetables or cheese, so we can try a variety of types today if you’d like. Here they happen to pan fry them so they’re not just steamed.”

Stephen was excited - which was pretty obvious by his tendency to go into details when explaining things. He loved momos and the idea of showing momos off to Tony was an utter delight to him.

“You can take my word for it: something deep fried and stuffed with meat or cheese piques my interest. You had me at fried.” Tony procured his glass of water and took a sip. He nudged the side of his leg lightly into Stephen’s for a lack of better way to discreetly make for some sort of physical contact with him. "I guess I'll be leaving the ordering part to you then since I don't exactly know what to ask for."

“Well I imagine your Nepali isn’t the best either,” Stephen chided playfully in return, leaning in against Tony for a moment affectionately before flipping through the menu. “Next time I suppose I’ll have to take you somewhere that deep fries their momos. I tend to prefer them pan fried, but honestly I love momos enough that it’s no loss to me if they’re deep fried. As long as it’s momos.”

Finding the right spot, Stephen gave a soft hum as he read over the menu. “Should we get a couple different types of meat momos and an order or two of cheese momos? There’s a large assortment of meats that are used in momos, from things we’re more familiar with like pork, chicken and lamb, to things more common to the area like goat, buffalo and yak. They also make soup momos which aren’t fried at all, just steamed and allowed to sit in broth if you’re feeling something a little warmer.”

“Well I am here for the real deal, is any method more authentic than the last or is it just a style for the restaurant? Lots of dishes can be made many different ways depending on the way the chef prefers to prepare it.” Tony leaned in close to look over the menus.

“I like the sound of all of those things - let’s do it!”

“At this point a lot of this is  _ authentic _ ... we’re  _ in _ Nepal, not that momos came from Nepal - it’s actually believed that Newar merchants brought over the name and recipe from Tibet. Traditional Tibetan momos I believe were typically filled with yak meat, but given modern movements towards vegetarianism there are more vegetables used in momos now - or they’re made entirely of vegetables. But they  _ do _ have yak momos on the menu, so we can have those as one of the meat momo orders if you’d like. Would you like to try something like goat or buffalo for the other meat momo dish? Or would you rather lean towards lamb or pork? Apparently they don’t actually have chicken momos at this particular restaurant. Odd.”

The sorcerer went over some of the drinks thoughtfully as well, trying to sort out something of a meal experience for Tony. If he’d really thought on it and had time to plan he would have found somewhere a little more fancy to bring the man, but there was something he enjoyed about the back-alley, everyday experience of the place they were in, and as he scooted in close to share the menu with Tony, he happily wrapped an arm around the other’s waist.

“Well then let's go with yak annnd...” Tony was about the peek over again at the menu simply out of habit but stopped. “Right, I can’t read Nepali sooo pork for the second one to try. I have a feeling that yak is going to be pretty gamey so lamb may not be ideal to pair with it.” Tony sat back a little sheepishly.

Stephen chuckled a little at that and gave a nod. “Alright. Yak and pork, maybe just one order of the cheese momos and an order of soup momos? Or I don’t think we’ll be able to eat it all.”

Honestly he wasn’t sure they’d be able to even eat  _ that _ much, but he was willing to give it a go regardless. It depended on Tony’s appetite overall and it wasn’t the biggest loss if he had to bring leftovers home. Flagging down the waiter, Stephen placed their order with a polite smile and the waiter disappeared moments later to have it filled.

Tony waited for Stephen to finish placing their order before chiming in again. “There’s nothing wrong with leftovers and I’m sure I’ll get through it all… unless it’s an ungodly amount of food.” Tony had a comically determined look on his face that spoke volumes.

“We can order more after if you’re still feeling hungry. But you should probably wait until you see the size of them and actually have a couple before you go looking at me like that.” Stephen smirked a little at the expression the engineer had donned. He had the impression Tony was  _ not _ saving room for any kind of dessert which was fine but if the other thought Stephen was going to skip out on sweets he had another thing coming.

“I got you a mango lassi as well… If you haven’t had one before now’s as good a time as any, I figured. Now then, while we wait!” 

“Mango lassi? I love those, I’m a big advocate of Indian food and they serve those in most Indian restaurants. Those things are practically a dessert in a cup.” The engineer’s voice fell quiet, the joking cadence gone mostly. “So, are you at least feeling a bit better now that we’re out of the Sanctum for now?”

“As always I’m a fan of sweet things.” Stephen offered a vaguely cheeky smile before hugging Tony a little closer with the one arm, while the cloak snuck out one side of its scarf-state to curl around Tony’s neck in turn.

“I’m definitely enjoying the open air and the general feel of being in Kathmandu again. There’s something… reassuring about being at Kamar-Taj at times and the whole area naturally reminds me of it. More than that I feel better given you haven’t lapsed into another catatonic state. The fact that  _ you _ seem okay makes me feel considerably better.” 

Stephen couldn’t help but sigh softly. He’d definitely gone overboard earlier and in hindsight he  _ knew _ it. Dealing with Tony in a state of potential mental unwellness wasn’t something he wholly knew how to cope with - different people would act differently in those circumstances. Some accepted that something had gone wrong and panicked, some accepted it and blew it off, some  _ didn’t _ accept it at all, or would react with anger towards the suggestion that something had happened. It had felt so much as though Tony was dismissing his concerns that he’d found his head running through a variety of different potential issues.

He still couldn’t discount the possibility that the ambient magic of the temple - and possibly even of the Sanctum - were affecting the man. Thus far, away from those places Tony seemed perfectly fine.

“Well you know I’m a fighter Stephen, nothing like that could really keep me down. You seemed really stressed out. I’m sorry I made you worry but I honestly think it was just the byproduct of either the book or the vault. I didn’t just space out and have some sort of absent seizure, I saw things from the past like I was simply remembering them.” Tony tilted his head and brushed a brief kiss over Stephen’s cheek, veiled by the cloak-scarf now around his neck.

“All things considered I’ve been fine so far. Even so - I think this was a well needed break for the both of us. We’ve been going at that book and these dreams non-stop since I got back and trust me, I’m just as anxious to get to the bottom of all this too.” He smiled, placing his hand over the one Stephen had wrapped around him from behind.

“Still, if one of these happened while you were in combat…” Stephen trailed off, before slowly leaning against Tony further, pulling him in close. “I don’t… want something to happen to you because of me. If the book is what got you into this mess and something happened again I’d feel responsible. I already feel responsible for your shoulder. Your life is in danger often enough without my adding to it, and while I trust you to be able to handle most of your problems on your own,  _ my _ problems aren’t so easily solved by your skillset. If magic starts fucking with you, you don’t have any practical defenses against them - as proven by the fact that these dreams have been having such a profound effect on you.”

Sighing softly the sorcerer bowed his head to press his forehead against Tony’s. “But I am sorry about my behaviour earlier. It was uncalled for and panic  _ never _ helps a situation… I felt… odd and raw and... “  _ protective _ ... but that felt strange to admit, so he didn’t. “Worried.”

“I would have reacted the same way, without a doubt.” Tony leaned a little weight into bumping his head up against Stephen’s in return. He let out a deep breath and laced his fingers into Stephen’s. "You mean so much to me Stephen, more than you know." Tony's cheeks turned a light pink with the heat of the moment.

“You said these dreams affected you when you slept. You also mentioned you had some sort of mental barriers they were able to bypass. I have a feeling we are in the same boat here regardless of whatever magical defenses there are. Whatever magic is affecting us is older than anything we know. I don't think we should be afraid of it though."

Stephen found himself wondering if he  _ did _ know. He’d had feelings for Tony for a long time - feelings he’d let simmer in the crush department and left well enough alone knowing the man had been engaged and he had no intentions of acting on them. Those things didn’t exactly work out as he’d anticipated and now here he was on a proper date with Tony, both of them fully aware of the date context, the ‘boyfriend’ title dropped… and recently those feelings had been compounding so quickly it was almost dizzying.

He hesitated for a brief moment on the idea of ‘love’... He thought it and his stomach didn’t twist into knots of discomfort about it. It felt right despite his struggles with being open about his sexuality. But he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. He wasn’t sure  _ now _ was the time.

“Maybe. Or maybe I reacted the way I did  _ because _ I know…” Stephen responded instead, offering a soft smile before sighing a little. “Unlike the dreams I’m having however, yours are leading to you getting hurt. So while I’m not  _ afraid _ of them, I  _ am _ concerned about the effects they’re having…”

“Well, isn’t that why I have you to look after me? You did promise me you would take care of me. And I know I could do to be a lot more careful about this stuff.” The engineer’s voice was soft and comforting as he looked up into grey-green eyes filled with so much concern. “Whatever we are in for now, we are in it together. We’ll have each other's backs.”

“I’m honestly not sure what the best course of action is at this point.” The sorcerer pressed a gentle kiss to Tony’s forehead before resting against him again, trying to relax despite his mind constantly racing. “As long as we’re keeping an eye out for each other that’ll be helpful, but it won’t fix the underlying concerns and I don’t want to be constantly worried when you’re off saving the world from threats. I  _ should _ be able to have confidence in you - you’re smart, resourceful, and strong enough to handle things as long as your head is able to focus. But I don’t know whether just staying away from the book is the best choice, or if this will all resolve once the translation is finished…”

Tony closed his eyes as he felt those lips on his forehead, leaning up to chase and return it the kiss gently.

“I don’t plan to stay away from the book Stephen, I have a feeling deep down once we’ve finished it this will all come to a close. The more time we spend with it, the more I feel something growing deep within me, resonating with a strength - that feeling is the same and I’ve also been noticing other things too…” Tony furrowed his brow and rubbed the reactor. “That feeling I’ve been sensing has been getting stronger and more constant.”

“I’m trying to accept that.” Stephen sighed softly, but offered a little smile in return for the kiss. “It worries me that I don’t know what it’s doing… but that’s just me. It’s one thing to not know what’s going on exactly, and it’s another to not know what’s going on with someone I care about and feeling like I’m failing to correct it. That strangle hold of control I used to have on every aspect of my life has been hard to let go of, but it’s worse when it comes to something potentially magical effecting you that I can only hope  _ isn’t harmful _ ...”

“Would it make you feel better if we checked out the reactor again when we got home?” Tony smiled. “There’s a lot of stuff I can imagine we both don’t understand, that doesn’t mean we should be afraid of it.” He paused for a moment. 

“I’ve been… able to pick up on aspects of your feelings and emotions, like whatever you are expressing I end up feeling in part.” There was another moment where he bit his lip. “I felt how worried you were when you were afraid earlier, how relieved you were when I mentioned we should take a break…” Tony looked like he wanted to say more but he took another pause.

“I don’t think checking out the reactor is going to make too much of a difference at this point. I’m honestly content with just spending some time today not focusing on the book so much and just… focusing on  _ us _ some… especially if this feeling isn’t causing you any unease.” 

The idea that Tony was somehow sensing his emotions was a little unnerving. It wasn’t as though he was hiding a lot of his emotions from Tony at this point, but he wasn’t sure what something like that meant or how much context Tony got for those emotions. If he was suddenly upset by something the last thing he wanted was for Tony to think he was upset with  _ him _ if the issue was something else entirely. That could get complicated really quickly. And how much of a distance did those sensations carry? Did distance actually affect it at  _ all? _

“This is going to ruin my whole image.” He chuckled softly despite himself, thanking the waiter as he brought over a couple of plates and a pair of lassis, indicating he’d be back in just a moment with the rest of the order.

“Yeah well that’s what happens in a relationship. Relationships  _ are mess _ and I never believed that whole facade you put up for a second. I had you  _ all figured out _ by the third session.” The engineer jested playfully, nudging the side of Stephen’s face with his nose.

“Spending time together does sound nice though, lord knows I never really took the chance to just stop and smell the flowers through all of this…” He let out a sigh and looked over and excitedly turned his attention to the meal in front.

“So what do you recommend I try first?”

“The soup while it’s hot is advisable. As long as you’re okay with eating food while it’s hot - don’t rush and burn yourself. He’ll be back with the rest of the momos in a moment so you can pick from amidst them. It looks like what we have here is the pork in the soup and an order of cheese momos.”

 

* * *

 

When the waiter returned, Stephen spoke quietly with the man in Nepalese before the man left, and the sorcerer offered Tony a warm smile and pointed around. “These are the yak, and these ones are the pan fried pork momos. So if you want to take a little time for the soup to cool off, maybe try the yak and let me know if you like it. If not I’ll happily eat them.”

Tony nodded his head and reached over to grab one of the yak-meat momos. Rather than dipping it in the chutney offered on the side he ended up taking a bite out of it plain.

The meat was juicy and lean and surprisingly not too strong with an edge of sweetness to it. “I expected this to taste a lot more gamey than this but it's got a strong flavour, almost sweet! Reminds me of a mix between bison and ground beef.” Tony withheld, chewing the bite he took before swallowing and dipping it into the offered sauce this time.

“I definitely like these, they kind of remind me of gyoza but  _ way _ better.” Tony nudged Stephen fondly, he could tell the sorcerer was on the edge of his seat a little, waiting for his impression of the chosen cuisine. Likewise he could sense the relief and then the pool of happiness when he’d complimented the dish.

It was really  _ strange _ to sense those feelings, so inconsequential but also effective if he listened carefully.

“I’m glad you like it.” The expressions that used to seem so impassive before seemed to show more nuance when combined with the emotions Tony could feel from the sorcerer. 

“You can get something  _ like _ momos back States-side but trying to find  _ yak _ momos can be a challenge. Luckily I visit Kamar-Taj often enough it’s not hard to get my fix when I’m really in the mood for them. Wong also makes pretty decent momos. He’s a surprisingly good cook, but don’t tell him I said so.” Stephen added with a cheeky little grin, before happily taking a momo to dip in one of the dishes of sauce that had come with the plates.

Realistically there was a lot of food made available to them - eight pan fried momos and another six in the soup - and lassis were reasonably filling on their own as well, but Stephen wasn’t exactly delicate about his eating process, his excitement and enthusiasm bleeding through to Tony with ease.

“Luckily my boyfriend is a sorcerer that visits Kamar-Taj enough that I can get momos...” Tony jested with cheeky sentiment. “Or maybe I could woo Wong... or you could convince him to make them for us.” The engineer teased lightly, nudging Stephen in the side. “I’m pretty sure I could buy the best ingredients too for it.”

Tony looked at the arrangement of platters in front of them and sized up the spread. It wasn’t that bad, there wasn’t _ too much _ food and knowing Tony and his  _ appetite _ he’d be able to handle it.

The engineer let out a contented sigh and reached for another of the dumplings, same again - yak - and dipped it in the sauce. He was torn whether he liked them with or without the enhancer. He was always one to value the base meal without the flares. There was a lot of flavour in the meat mixture alone!

“Am I going to be a momo delivery service now?” Stephen inquired with a soft laugh as he finished off his first momo and reached to grab one of the momos he’d indicated as cheese. 

“Try alternating when you’re eating them. These ones are really good, but I’ve found with some momos they can taste  _ very _ rich and the cheese momos in between can make it a nice balance. That’s just me, of course.” He chuckled softly, though clearly he had an affinity for the chutney as he delved into that again swiftly enough, looking utterly content.

“We might be able to convince Wong to make them at home at some point. He’s been fairly busy lately - or at least he was last time I saw him, when he came looking for a book and gave me a hard time about the state of the Sanctum…” Clearly Stephen wasn’t terribly pleased by that but there was a certain resignation to him as well. “He’s probably not wrong. The library is a forever project, but the least I could do is get the rest of the place back in order.”

“Yeah if that’s not too much to ask for.” Tony flashed Stephen an innocent smile. He ate up the sorcerer’s expression at his response, only grinning to him in return - innocently at that.

Tony stuffed the rest of his yak momo in his mouth, enjoying the meat before reaching for one of the cheese flavoured dumplings. “Okay so cheese, meat, veggies and meat? I think you’ve found my soft spot.” Tony smiled, following Stephen and dipping the cheese dumpling into the sauce.

“Anything for you,  _ dumpling _ ." Stephen teased playfully, before seeming to realize the mistake he'd made. 

"Oh, I didn’t get any of the veggie momos. Really for a perfect balance we have too many meat momos and not enough cheese momos either, but these are nicely balanced on their own, so there’s not too much to worry about. Next time if we come here during the day we can see about going to a place with more momo variety and we’ll get some veggie momos. Or I can take you to a place that makes dessert momos. But there are a lot of options for momos around and some restaurants have more unique recipes and such. I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to just go on a momo tour, admittedly. Maybe I have a good reason now.” 

Stephen’s smile didn’t seem to fade. Even as he ate there was a little quirk to his lips that showed his contentment and that happiness radiated from him as they continued their meal.

“Oh I think we have just enough  _ cheese _ here.” Tony gave Stephen a soft, teasing smile. The engineer then chuckled softly to himself, chewing on the dumpling.

Stephen had made so much progress opening up, it was a change to see such a different side of him and Tony appreciated every small part of it. Tony could feel a semblance of emotion that was running through Stephen’s chest as he sat there, basking there in the resonating feelings. He knew that every part of it was genuine and he knew he was so privileged to have found Stephen in that moment.

“This was a fantastic idea, I'm glad you suggested it.” He nestled a little further into the sorcerer’s side, enjoying his company. "I think we should do a momo tour if not soon, then when this is all over.”

“There’s no such thing as  _ enough cheese. _ What kind of American are you?” The sorcerer responded, smiling warmly in his place even as he paused to rest his cheek against Tony’s head briefly. “... thank you for agreeing to it. Especially after I was kind of a dick earlier. When we do get around to that momo tour, I’ll make sure there’s time to show you a little bit of Kamar-Taj as well. The time isn’t great for a lot of things at the moment, but one of these days.”

“I thought cheese was supposed to be a  _ Canadian thing... _ ” He trailed off with a huffed laugh. “And you’re  _ always a dick _ , just less so at times.” The engineer teased. “So am I for that matter. It’s why I love your company so much, I don’t think I’d get along with any other  _ dick. _ ” Tony simply preened under the other man’s attention, leaning in to give the sorcerer a gentle nip on the cheek.

“I didn’t realize it was my dickishness that had caught your fancy so much. Here I thought it was my charm, wit and intelligence - and not even necessarily in that order.” He chuckled a little as he continued to eat, though a hint of red rose to his cheeks at Tony’s nip.

“Well if I didn’t have anyone to go back and forth with my life would surely be dull, but yeah I guess your charm does play a part in it all.” The engineer continued to smile from ear-to-ear with a soft jesting tone. 

He could tell the sorcerer was somewhat bashful if the reddening in his cheeks wasn’t an indicator enough. Tony finished off his dumpling and leaned back against the seat of the booth, exhausted and starting to feel the effects of a meal well eaten. 

_ He probably wasn’t going to hear the end of it from Stephen for his confidence in being able to eat so much. _

“At least try some of the soup momos,” Stephen nudged him a little, his amusement easily bleeding over and making the humour in his expression clear. “They’ll be the hardest ones to pack up and bring home and they won’t be nearly as good reheated.”

The sorcerer had eaten half of them himself already along with a few of the pork, yak, and cheese momos, leaving them with a full order of the non-soup momos remaining by then - and another three momos bobbing in the soup slightly.

“Ok, I’ll eat as much as I can but if I end up throwing up because I over ate then I’m just going to blame you.” Tony was somehow trying to turn this around on Stephen to try and hide the fact that he wrong.

He picked up a fork, skewering the the dumping and picking it out of the soup, nibbling about a quarter of it.

“Mmm…” It was good. Tony ended up stuffing the rest in his mouth, swallowing his bite and taking a few spoonfuls of broth before once again sitting back against the booth. “OK, I’m going to go into a food coma, happy?”

“I’m on a date with  _ you, _ how could I be anything but happy?” Stephen smiled warmly. “At least now that I have context about it. Should I be planning on us heading home instead of checking out the city further? I suppose if we’re going to do a momo tour at some point we’ll have plenty of opportunities to do a proper tour another time…”

Tony’s cheeks turned red once again and he shrunk sheepishly into the booth with the compliment. He was surely used to spending time with Stephen at this point but the compliments never got old despite that.

“Maybe the fact that you warned me about ordering too much and I insisted I could eat it all.” Tony let his head fall onto the sorcerer's shoulders. He turned into a fuzzy mess at Stephen’s side. “God I don’t know if I’ll even be able to walk.”

“I was just as excited to order a bunch of momos to share with you as you were to eat them. The fact that you liked them made me plenty happy - I have no regrets.” The sorcerer assured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“Let me deal with paying and getting the last of these packed up and I’ll see about carrying you home. I seem to recall saying I would if your knees were weak - I think this is close enough to count.”

“Hey! No, no, no! You can’t use that against me and this doesn’t count!” Tony’s heart swelled with that kiss, butterflies scattering in his stomach as he jolted forward to raise a finger after in protest to Stephen’s  _ other _ comment.

He couldn't help but feel babied, and that only make him sink even further into the seat between the sorcerer.  _ He still thoroughly enjoyed it despite the embarrassment alight in his cheeks _ .

“I guess I’ll let you have this one…  _ this time. _ ”

“I asked you out. It’s only right that I pay. I’ll be back in just a minute.” The sorcerer smiled, carefully unwinding the scarf from his neck and allowing the cloak to drape itself over Tony before he headed to the register to pay and collect up a take-out pack.

He didn’t take very long at the task, though during his chat with the man behind the register there was a brief moment of the man flashing a glance in his direction before focusing on Stephen again and saying something to make the sorcerer laugh softly. Whatever Stephen had to say had a similar effect on the man behind the register as he gave a hearty laugh and a wave as the doctor made his way back to the table and started to pack things up.

“So am I carrying you back to your place, or do you figure you can waddle your way to a quiet place and through a portal on your own two feet?”

Tony gave Stephen an off glance as he came over but that soon turned into a mischievous grin. He leaned back against the booth back to an almost dramatized position.

“Well you offered, so I might as well take you up on it. I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of that. It’s not often I get whisked off my feet by prince charming.” The engineer grinned and gave the sorcerer a suggestively wanton look. “Plus you know me, everything has to be dramatic, there’s got to be some sort of flare.”

Finishing tucking away the remaining momos, Stephen sighed in a faux long-suffering manner. “Of course. Well, in that case…”

The cloak untangled itself from Tony to settle around Stephen’s neck as the man made his way to Tony to carefully lift him in that bridal-style he always seemed to talk about - the manner that was easiest on the sorcerer’s hands, most likely, before glancing at the little pack on the table. “Care to grab those?”

Tony reached over to pluck the take-out bag off of the table, he was reeling from being picked up - he didn’t know what he had been expecting but definitely not this. His stomach figuratively dropped right out as he hooked an arm a little panicked around the sorcerer’s shoulders, grabbing onto his shirt and looking right into Stephen’s eyes.

“I wasn’t expecting that, I don’t know why I wasn’t but I was half expecting you to tell me to waddle home.” Tony laughed nervously, it was almost like a stigma of his to be picked up or lifted off the ground out of his control.

“Well congratulations, you’re stuck. For now anyway. I can’t open a portal  _ and _ hold you at the same time. But if you need me to put you down you can always ask. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I just thought you wanted some drama. Was this not enough drama for you? Did you need fireworks, too?”

The door seemed to open of its own accord as he made his way out - though a careful look made it clear the cloak was the one gracious enough to open it for them - and Stephen hummed his thanks as he made his way a little further down the alley.

“You know I’ve been in  _ worse _ situations - try not to shake the food baby.” Tony teased, grinning back at the sorcerer as he was carried out towards the alley. Before he made any protest to be set down he leaned in and stole a brief kiss, sliding out of Stephen’s hold as the man lowered him so he could have both hands available to cast the portal home.

“But yes, next time I do want fireworks. In fact bring an entire parade while you’re at it - you know my style.” He pushed, hoping to get an equally enthusiastic jab back.

“Got it. Fireworks next time and nothing less for Tony Stark.” Stephen chuckled a bit before raising his hands to open a portal into Tony’s apartment. Rather than leading him, Stephen offered the man a hand palm up in a rather elegant fashion as he smiled.

“Shall we?”

“Let’s go! I expect nothing less than promised.”

Tony took the offered palm and stepped on through with Stephen, he watched as Levi restlessly shook itself out completely of its disguise and soon enough went to drape over the both of them. Tony felt his stomach tingling with soft feelings, the butterflies hadn’t subsided in the least and he was there almost echoing the emotions he knew that Stephen internally held for him. 

Tony pulled the sorcerer in close, perhaps he was overcome? Or he simply had the urge to grab onto the sorcerer and spend a moment basking in his presence without being out in public. “I had a wonderful time, thank you  _ cupcake _ .” Nothing could hold back the wide grin on Tony’s face as his arm snaked around the sorcerer’s waist and hung there.

“It was an utter joy  _ dumpling, _ thank you for indulging me.” Stephen offered with soft purr to his voice, before leaning down just slightly to give the engineer a rather sweet kiss. 

In so many ways it might’ve been a kiss on the front step with his father watching for how chaste it was, but the adoration radiating off of the sorcerer made the kiss feel a lot more tender and loving rather than timid and cautious.

Tony was all too willing to return the affection again. Whatever Stephen had been feeling was resonating through him as well and it was echoing back and forth in their gentle ministrations. 

Tossing the leftovers crudely down onto the coffee table, Tony wrapped both his arms around Stephen and scooped him up. 

_ Of course, being Tony - he had to make it a show. _

He tipped Stephen over, holding his weight up as if they were dancing partners and he was holding his dancing partner up. He deepened the kiss, eyes closing as he took the entirety of the sorcerer’s mouth with his own. If Stephen wanted to go deep - he’d give him  _ deep _ .

The doctor took no time at all in throwing his arms more firmly around Tony, clasping at him tightly as though afraid the man might drop him. A muffled squeak slipped from the man before he relaxed a little - particularly as the cloak curled around him more firmly making it perfectly clear that even  _ if _ Tony lost his grip somehow he wasn’t going to wind up sprawling across Tony’s apartment floor in an undignified heap.

As his relaxation settled in, the hands that had held so tight moments before became only one arm curled around him, with the other moving into the engineer’s hair rather affectionately. 

Their sizes made it almost awkward but Tony wasn’t short of upper body strength by any means. Stephen wasn’t that hard to hold aloft as he tilted his head into the heated lip lock, a satisfied groan rumbling in his chest. Whiskers tickling and brushing against each other in tender bristly kisses as the brunette forced entry into the doctor’s mouth to deepen the kiss further.

It was so natural the way Tony had responded, like there was a seamless and synchronous connection between them. Words weren't necessary to understand what his companion was feeling leaving the engineer to simply follow and run off of the fueled emotion. He finally allowed the sorcerer the grace of oxygen, pulling away but only to hover right above him with their foreheads resting against one another.

“I know I said I was full but it would be sacrilege to skip out on this kind of dessert.” He smile, an expression that told so much by the happy wrinkles in his expression as he held Stephen’s gaze.

“You, Tony Stark, do not seem to me like the religious sort…” Stephen’s face was a little red, though there was a delight in him that Tony could feel easily enough.

“He’s not, and if he says he is he’s being dramatic.” An amused but authoritative - and  _ all too familiar _ \- voice piped up as Pepper Potts strode purposefully into the room and rather pointedly sat a stack of papers on Tony’s counter.

“This is nice and all - and I  _ am _ very happy for you both - but Tony? I need your signature on a few things and I haven’t been able to get a hold of you for a while now. I needed these signed  _ three days ago. _ So if you’d be so kind…?” The woman paused as she took in Stephen’s steadily anxious and uncomfortable countenance, her eyes flicking between the two men for a moment before she gave a soft sigh.

“Oh don’t you mind me, Doctor. I’m happy Tony’s moved on and is happy. I just need him to focus a little on work at times as well.” The woman had clearly formed her opinion of why Stephen had become so alarmed, and while it wasn’t exactly accurate there was no mistaking the tension in the sorcerer at having been caught.

"Well even if I'm not, I'm sure  _ you _ could make me a believer, Stephen." Tony looked up to Pepper hardly effected by her presence. He switched the sorcerer's support to his less dominant arm and reached over to sign the papers while still holding onto the flustered doctor.

"Right here Tony… and here… one more - oh and you might want to read this one." Pepper seemingly unphased by Stephen while dealing with the paperwork.

Tony was admittedly a little surprised by Pepper’s presence at first, but enjoyed the idea of Stephen being put on the spot like this. Stephen cleared his throat a little quietly. 

“I’m… sure this would be much easier if you had both of your hands. My legs work just fine…” His voice was soft as though he was somehow trying not to be disruptive in the least despite speaking up at all. “And if you’ve got business to attend to perhaps I should-”

“Don’t let me disrupt your day, please. A few more signatures and I’ll be entirely out of your hair. Though really, Tony, if you’d answer your texts or otherwise respond when I’m trying to set up meetings for these to get signed I wouldn’t have to intrude on your dates.” Pepper offered the sorcerer a kind smile that slowly transformed into one of exasperation as she turned her sights on Tony.

"It would be easier, yes. But Stephen - honey - when have I ever been known to take the easy way out?" Tony finished signing on all the papers before he let the pen slide down the paper. "Okay, okay Pep, I'll try to be more accessible.”

He could feel Stephen's reluctance towards his treatments and that in turn only caused Tony to tighten his hold in an attempt to reassure the sorcerer. "Stephen you're not going anywhere and neither am I." The engineer chirped and Pepper gave Tony an accusatory look but tucked the papers away under her arm.

"It was nice to see you Doctor." Pepper nodded with a pleasant smile to him.

“It’s a pleasure Miss Potts. I hope you have a lovely day.” He responded a little stiffly as he made efforts to try and untangle himself from Tony again to get his balance. He was clearly uncomfortable even as Pepper said her goodbyes and made her way out of the room and Stephen had gone from happy to quite the opposite in the time she’d come and gone.

“Tony. Let me go or I’ll get  _ myself _ out of this  _ regardless _ of your comfort.” The sorcerer’s tone was low and sharp as he spoke, his words carefully enunciated to make certain there were  _ no _ misunderstandings. He didn’t want to be held anymore.

There wasn’t so much as a delay as Tony responded to Stephen’s demand. He helped the sorcerer into a proper standing position as Pepper took off very mindful of the cadence the words had been spoken in. 

Tony had  _ thought _ he was being funny, he  _ thought _ he was being cute, but he really wasn’t sure. Sometimes the sorcerer's emotions were easy to read, plain as day, and sometimes in these moments it was a bit harder and that was when he would step back and allow the other to dictate the situation.

Perhaps he’d gotten a bit carried away with things?

“What’s wrong?”

The sorcerer took a moment to compose himself, brushing at his attire and straightening himself out again before turning a serious look on the engineer. “Remember the whole ‘not sure where I stand on the Avengers knowing’ thing?”

He didn’t sound  _ angry, _ but there was a definite and unmistakable measure of unhappiness to him. “And I get that Miss Potts isn’t an Avenger, and I trust that she’s not going to gossip and make a big deal out of things, and I  _ truly _ appreciate that… but I’m not exactly ready for grand romantic gestures quite like that. At night, in Kathmandu, where we’re not likely to be recognized or no one knows who we are? That’s one thing. Out of my comfort zone, but I’m  _ trying _ to take steps. Small ones, but steps. This was… a bit further across the line than I was ready for.”

Regardless of his words and displeasure, Stephen still reached to offer a hand to Tony. “... but you sure made quite a statement in front of your ex, and if you were trying to make sure I wasn’t concerned about where I stood, you  _ definitely did that. _ ”

Tony was crestfallen, he knew he’d done wrong but at the same time felt at the same time that he’d been chastised for something he didn’t think would  _ really be a big deal. _

“Yeah I was trying to show off, that’s what I do - that’s me. Pep wouldn’t make mention to anyone and I do remember what you said.” The engineer returned the gentle gesture but still couldn’t help but feel like a kicked puppy dog.

“Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come off that way, and how was I to know Pepper was just going to walk in without warning? She caught us mid-moment!” Besides the myriad of text messages and unanswered calls Tony had failed to respond to.

“I  _ realize _ that you had no way of knowing she was going to walk in - I’m not upset about  _ that _ exactly, it was out of our control. But when I suggested you let me up to make things easier on yourself, that was just as much for  _ my _ sake. I  _ told _ you I haven’t exactly come out yet…” Stephen sighed softly as he curled his fingers gently around Tony’s hand. “I’m not angry. This is far from the worst thing, but… this  _ is _ an important time to just talk about it. Being made a display of… made me very uncomfortable.”

Tony nodded his head in understanding. “Yeah I get it, that was my bad… You think you could forgive me?” Tony smiled innocently, trying to flash Stephen a solid pair of puppy-dog eyes. He had a gentle smile, a little confidence bleeding through but he definitely understood Stephen’s concern.

“I’ll consider it.” A small smile settled on the doctor’s features as he looked at the engineer, his tension slowly seeming to ease as he watched the other man. “Maybe one day I’ll be ready for more grand gestures - and when I am, I’ll utterly preen under the attention, I’m sure. But for now… I’d like to keep our more intimate moments…  _ intimate _ ... between us. As long as we’re at an understanding… then thank you for listening.”

Stephen leaned to press a gentle kiss to Tony’s cheek, before giving him a light tug towards the couch. “I’m not ready to go home yet. Shall we watch a movie or something?”

Tony nodded softly and smiled as the sorcerer pecked him on the cheek. “Hey, but it’s not like I actually went out of my way to invite Pepper into my place so she could catch us…” He tried to defend, but it was a half-hearted debacle that he would willingly roll over on.

“You know, you’re welcome to stay the night… Maybe we could try that whole bedtime cuddling we talked about earlier. I promise there’s nothing perverted, I’ll keep my hands to myself unless for hugs and kisses.” It didn’t take Tony long before he was rebounding from the previous scolding. 

He was over the moon.

“Hmmm, I suppose I could be convinced to consider a sleepover…” Stephen smiled lightly at that and gave a nod as he settled himself on the couch, looking around the apartment curiously before Tony joined him. 

They spent a little time chatting while determining what to watch and after settling on a show the pair wound up cuddled up under the cloak on the couch, exchanging quips now and then about characters or events going on, enjoying a considerably more comfortable time with the pair of them relaxed and content in their quiet social activities. Tony wound up snacking on the last of the momos as they watched their show, though without prompting he took efforts to order pizza for dinner for their outdoor-turned-indoor-date and the pair opened some wine in a vain attempt to make their pizza date feel a tiny bit more classy. 

By the time night rolled around, Stephen had once again managed to lean to the moderately tipsy (and apparently highly cuddly) side of drunk, an arm curled around Tony’s waist and his head resting on the engineer’s shoulder as he gave a soft sigh. 

“We should probably pause this here and get some rest… before it gets too late.”

Tony had already been dozing off slightly, he was catching flies with his head back on the couch, his one arm closest to Stephen under and around his side while the other was resting on his lap. As soon as Stephen had spoken up he’d immediately snapped out of his half-dreaming state, shaking his head a little startled as he blinked a few times and leaned his head back up again.

“Wha-? Oh, yeah. We should definitely do that…” He looked over at Stephen with a sleepy gaze and shook himself to full consciousness, stretching his arms turning the screen off with the remote.

“Fri hold the episode in that spot for the next time.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on Stephen’s cheek, almost nodding off again and falling into the man as he did so.

“Alright, sleep - yeah let’s do that.” He stood up and offered Stephen a hand up from the couch, managing to reluctantly untangle himself from the sorcerer he’d been nestled up against.

The cloak curled itself around Tony's shoulders as Stephen took his hand to stand, tucking himself in against Tony’s side and wrapping an arm around his waist to cuddle there on the way to the bedroom with a yawn.

“Sorry. You seemed like you were ready for bed and it’s about that time anyway.”

“No, you’re right… sleep sounds perfect… It’s been a long day and we had a pretty awesome adventure today.” Tony leaned up against Stephen, letting the cloak aid a little in keeping him upright. His steps felt almost weightless as the cloak picked up his slack and the two of them walked slowly towards his room.

Once there, the cloak immediately began to help Tony out of his shirt, and the engineer - on auto-pilot by that point - not even thinking as he let the cloak tug and pull at this clothing. The shirt came off, then his pants and he face-planted into his pillow with a loud groan, the cloak following after and patting him on the back before awaiting Stephen.

Tony moved around, finally getting comfy, kicking the sheets back and pulling them over him. He smiled tiredly and patted the spot beside him indicating for the sorcerer to join him.

Stephen seemed to hesitate briefly in his spot, before sighing softly and smiling as he divested himself of all but his boxers and carefully climbed into bed on the side Tony had made clear wasn’t his preferred side. He took a little time to adjust the pillows a bit and pull the blankets up, before reaching out to tug Tony in against his chest and closing his eyes.

“Good night, Tony. Sweet dreams.”

Tony slotted himself in right up against Stephen’s body. He let out a soft breath and laid his arms over Stephen’s, curled around his midsection. He practically melted into the other man’s body, the doctor contoured him so well from behind. The engineer almost felt like he was made of malleable putty in the moment, a little more awake now from the tender gesture as he let the soft, fuzzy sensations stir in his chest and closed his eyes.

“G’night Stephen, next time  _ I get to be the big spoon _ .” He let out a breathy chuckle, wiggling awkwardly to peck the taller man on his jaw before settling still finally.

“Mmmmm maybe if you get a bit taller…” Stephen teased softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the man’s head and the back of his shoulder before yawning again and closing his eyes, making no adjustments as the cloak bundled itself over the both of them.

Tony hunched his shoulders, naturally needing to get the last word in,  _ because reasons: _ "I will wrestle you down for big spoon privileges." He murmured sleepily. 

Sighing softly, he drifted off in the arms of the man  _ he loved _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a beautiful thing happened this morning. The wonderful [Blackrain (click for her Twitter!)](https://twitter.com/blackrain_1019) \- who blessed us before with art for our most recent TL Outtakes chapter (and so many times before that!!) - went above and beyond what we could've hoped and did an animatic for this story - as in, animation, music... _yeah we're surprised as heck, too!_
> 
> [You can view the animatic here on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwxPEHwdXPs) and if you enjoyed it, please show her some love! We're over the moon ourselves.
> 
>  
> 
> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish. You can find us on Twitter:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy (Foxglove)](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral (Bravehardt)](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	17. Aeternus

Over the next week and a bit Stephen proved to be a reasonably attentive boyfriend even if he was a bit of a sourpuss at times. Because they weren’t directly working on the translation of the book (that had been left in Friday’s capable processors) the pair spent a bit more time in Tony’s apartment in the Avengers Compound, often in Tony’s workshop as the engineer worked steadily on upgrades to his armour while Stephen read through large books while sprawled across the couch.

Tony had never been more pleased that he’d decided his workshop required a couch.

While the sorcerer was anything but a good cook, he never failed to round up something decent to tempt Tony away from his work with when it came to mealtimes, and it became very clear just how much the man appreciated routine.

Stephen ate promptly at 7AM, tried to at least have a snack if not a full lunch between 12PM and 1PM, and dinners happened no later than 7PM - though the doctor wasn’t opposed to dessert or snacks later on in the evening. Each day Tony spent with him led to him being lopped into a similar routine, still considerate not to force him to eat before he was ready.

Coffee though? Stephen was on the ball with the coffee, bless his magical fingers.

Of course Stephen couldn’t be there _every_ day, occasionally disappearing for the odd task or job, or even inviting Tony to join him in the library as he organized during which times Tony worked on schematics.

That had led easily enough to Stephen realizing that there was going to be no keeping things from Wong and the engineer had no small amount of pride in Stephen for stepping up and making things clear to Wong on his own terms despite how stressed out the notion had made him beforehand.

Wong had naturally found the whole explanation _very entertaining_ , based on Stephen’s breakdown of events to Tony.

_Apparently_ the man had thought they were dating ages ago and hadn’t bought Stephen’s ‘straight’ façade for a second, so none of what Stephen had admitted to him had come as any sort of surprise. Stephen took that remarkably well and it seemed to leave the sorcerer a bit less anxious about acts of affection around the Sanctum, even in the other sorcerer’s presence.

Currently however, Tony had been left to his own devices in the library while the sorcerer was out to get lunch, with nothing but a cloak to supervise him - the pair apparently trusted him a lot.

Tony had finished his work on the plans for his latest upgrades, sent in some e-signatures Pepper had forwarded along with reading through some tiring legal documents SHIELD had decided to drop on him last moment about some patents. He leaned back in his chair, Levi offering a soft squeeze as his mind began to wander. He thought about the progression of his relationship with Stephen: where it had started, how it had advanced, and where it had now grown to.

He was so happy with where they were now - with Stephen keeping to his word and taking things at their own pace. He was so lost in thought, he closed his eyes for a moment and everything seemed to flash white before he saw the tree and the forest in his mind.

Suddenly, he saw the druid approaching him - _Tony,_ not the alchemist.

“Tony.” He greeted, though the way he said it gave the impression he was feeling the name out, unfamiliar with it in some way. “I know you’re curious about a lot of things. Nio was always very curious as well… but are you really certain you want to know what the book contains?”

The tall figure sat across from him rather elegantly, eyes intently fixed on Tony as he watched the man with care and concern. The engineer peered back at the druid, taking the man in as if the first time with his very own eyes. Sure, he'd seen Vien tons of times through flashbacks and dreams but this was _different_

Here _Vien_ was, saying his name.

Tony's chest tightened.

It was almost as if he could sense what the druid was going to lead into and braced himself.

"I need to find out, I'm certain. I know I wouldn't be having these dreams, meeting you and knowing what you've been through if you or Nio hadn't wanted your legacy to live on."

“ _Wanting_ something and _needing_ something isn’t the same as being _ready_ for something. Nio and I wrote this _book_ for us. But the final chapter was written for _you_... when you were ready. When the time was right. You are the fulfillment of my promise.”

The druid’s expression was tender as he watched the engineer, his whole aura glowing with absolute serenity as he sat there.

He slowly reached out to touch Tony’s cheek and the contact wasn’t a physical sensation so much as a feeling. A feeling of absolute warmth and kindness that rippled through him in a burst of positive energy, affection and reassurance.

Tony felt the effervescence resonate through his entire body as though he was a metal pole struck with a sounding rod. The feelings kept vibrating and churning, there were so many different sensations - like knowing everything while at the same time knowing nothing at all.

It was incomprehensible, unimaginable - but in that moment he understood and felt _everything_. Things he'd never known to this degree, so utterly unquantifiable when compared to all other experiences.

His hand came up to rest over the one that had left a ghostly imprint of emotion on his face then closed his eyes before responding in a low husky voice.

“I don’t think anyone is ever truly ready, but I’m in this until the end. Through thick and thin, I _need_ to carry on your legacy for the both of you."

The druid gave him a rather enigmatic smile at that before closing his eyes and leaning in to kiss Tony’s forehead.

“ _So be it._ ”

The words were less said than simply expressed within him as Vien’s presence seemed to disperse into nothingness, leaving only a lingering imprint of warmth. Tony felt the heat only increase with the sensation on his forehead and when he opened his eyes he was sitting back in his seat with Friday attempting to contact him and the cloak likewise petting and nudging him for attention.

“Boss? I’ve finished my translation.”

“I think we have the final piece to the puzzle, should we wait for Strange to finish this off?” Tony smiled to the cloak who gave an equally excited squeeze. It reached up and gently rubbed his cheek and forehead _as if it knew._

"Thanks Friday. You're the best."

It was nearly another fifteen minutes before the sorcerer returned with the tell-tale _whoosh_ of a portal announcing him and followed by a soft sigh as he set the bundle of sushi out on the table.

“Sorry I took so long. My Japanese as it turns out, is utterly atrocious and I had to resort to pointing at a menu to get the order across properly. I’m still fairly convinced something in this order is incorrect, but I gave it my best.” The cloak was quick to make its way over to the Stephen as he returned, displaying its excitement quite plainly before flitting its way back over to where Tony sat. “Oh-! Hello! Someone’s eager to see me…” He chuckled softly.

Tony turned to Stephen - there was a look of revelation on his face as he was quick to follow just like the cloak. He got out of his chair and simply leaned into the sorcerer’s chest, wrapping his arms around him and leaning his face into Stephen’s collarbone.

“I spoke with him.” He started. “The druid… You, but not as myself from the past.”

He wasn’t intentionally disregarding Stephen’s efforts in acquiring them food but it felt important in that moment to mention _._ He was still caught up on it and his reactor felt unlike it ever had before, a burning fire in his chest that had grown into an inferno.

“It’s… nice to see you, too?” Stephen responded, looking and sounding rather puzzled as he wrapped his arms around Tony in return, glancing between him and the cloak. “What do you mean you spoke with the druid but not… sorry, I’ve clearly missed something and I have no idea what it is. Are we talking time-travel here? Lucid dreaming…?”

“It was like… A waking dream? A flashback? I was working on the book and leaned over to close my eyes and then - there he was. He warned me about the final part of the book and then after we spoke, Friday finished the translations. The book is complete Stephen!” Tony finally let go of the confused sorcerer and stood back to look him in the eye.

“He referred to me as _my_ real name, not as Nio. He knew who I was… He spoke to _me_ directly...”

“ _Wait._ What do you mean he _warned_ you about the final part of the book?” Stephen’s expression took on a look of wariness as he loosened his arms around the engineer, but didn’t release him entirely. “If he’s been somehow acting as a guide to you this whole time and now he’s warning you about the final part of the book should… _should_ we be finishing it? Would it be better to leave it alone…?”

“He said the last part of the book was _written for me_ , in his exact words… and I know that once we finish it we will have the keys to open the door in the vault.” Tony sounded determined as he looked up at Stephen. “Do this with me? I know it will be fine, _I have you here…_ We’ve come so far and I don't want to just let this go… We owe this to them - _to us._ They left us a legacy.”

There was no way Stephen was going to turn down the notion of being able to open the door in the temple and Tony knew it. No matter how uneasy Stephen seemed at first, eventually the sorcerer gave a slow nod and a sigh.

“Well, I’d definitely rather be here with you if this is happening than not, given some of the odd things that have been going on involving you and this book… I’d certainly rather supervise than have Vishanti-know-what happen to you while you’re alone.”

Tony leaned up and planted a quick kiss on Stephen’s lips, offering a broad smile.

“Thank you for picking lunch up… You’re too good to me.” He returned his hold to the sorcerer’s waist and squeezed him.

“I’d rather have you here for this than not, it means a lot. And we both know I’d find a way to do this regardless whether you wanted me to or not - because that’s just how I am.”

“That’s exactly why I’m concerned. So yes, I’d rather be here. Can we maybe… have lunch first? Or at least eat while Friday reads to us? I’d really rather we ate while it was fresh…” Stephen murmured softly as he took a moment to lean and press a kiss to the top of Tony’s head. “If I’d known Friday was so close to completing this I would’ve just gone to the deli…”

Tony nodded with a final squeeze and a smile - Stephen’s kisses regardless of mood always seemed to spark him into a softened emotional state.

He had so much love and appreciation for the sorcerer and he could understand the concern when he’d explained what had happened. He knew the sorcerer’s mind was jumping back towards the direction of having another catatonic episode and the last thing he wanted to do was spike Stephen’s anxiety or give him cause to worry.

He went to push a few things aside from their little work area and set out the trays of orders for them as he took a seat, kicking Stephen’s chair out for him as he took his own.

“Probably better that we eat first, we both know I’m a messy eater and I wouldn’t want to get anything on the tablet _or book_. What did you end up snagging from the sushi place?”

“Oh, an assortment of things. Take a look for yourself.” Stephen smiled a little as he took up his seat to start eating.

Lunch was a reasonably peaceful affair, though it wasn’t exactly slow. Both of them had their reasons for wanting to read the final chapter of the book, not the least of which being it meant starting to figure out what the schematics and diagrams that filled the second half of the book meant.

Stephen kept a close proximity to Tony during their meal, making passing contact now and then that was unmistakably laced with both worry and excitement as the sorcerer’s gaze flitted between sushi, Tony, and the book as he picked at his food with his fingers.

As it turned out, severe nerve damage and shakes didn’t work well with chopsticks.

The whole affair took barely fifteen minutes before Stephen started to gather things up to clear the table and quickly wash his hands.

Tony helped clear and gather the garbage and disposables into a plastic bag for the rubbish bin, moving each piece of their work station back into position afterwards. He made sure there was no trace of food and wiped down the table carefully before reopening the book and setting his tablet back down beside it.

“Alright Fri, let’s go. I’ve been waiting so long for this point!” Tony couldn’t keep the anticipation from his voice.

“Shall I start reading boss?”

“Right away, sweetheart.”

Friday immediately began her narrative and as soon as her words had started Tony began to zone out. This time however he was a hit with a nauseating wave and he had to stabilize himself on the back of the chair to keep him from keeling over.

 

* * *

 

There was an echo, someone's voice was trying to reach out to him.

_Vien?_ He had a hard time hearing him, but the voice grew louder, incredibly concerned and trying to wake him from his sleep.

“Nio, _hurry,_ wake up! You need to go - _now_!” The faint smell of burning hit the alchemist’s nose and he groaned softly as he rose from his spot, having been sleeping in his quarters of the great tree.

“ _Nio!_ ” The voice came louder still and the druid tore aside the cloth barrier that posed as a door to the room, his expression openly panicked and the feeling beginning to seep into Antonio’s mind as he woke.

Fear. Worry. Anger. Loss. Everything flooded into him in a maelstrom of emotion as the smoke started to billow into his room without the barrier in the way.

Vien clearly had decided the alchemist wasn’t moving fast enough as he strode quickly to the man and between the cowl and the druid Antonio was quickly swept off his feet. His nose and mouth were covered by the cowl to protect him some from the smoke as his mate turned to swiftly carry him up the stairs.

Antonio was awake as soon as Vien had picked him up and started rushing him out of the room. It was dizzying, he was still trying to process what exactly was going on, hard of breath with the cowl covering his face and the smoke billowing higher as if chasing them up the winding stairs of the tree.

“Vin…” He started in a groggy voice as he tapped his mate’s shoulder.

The smoke became more intense as they continued to ascend and despite his attempts to crouch and keep them low to minimize their inhalation of smoke, there was only so much Vien could do as they ascended the tree to the gateway up top.

“ **Vin** , what’s going on?!” He was fully alert now and looking around at the amber glow that he could see through the cracks in the roots of the staircase. “Where are we going?” He asked again, a little louder this time as he was rushed continually up the stairs.

His heart was pounding and he wanted answers; _what could possibly threaten the home tree?_

The druid didn’t answer his questions, though in the end he hardly had to. As Antonio asked the imagery began to flood their connection and into his head - images of a large gathering of men with torches held high and low, dragging flames across the dry summer mossbeds and into the trees surrounding the home tree.

The birds screamed their displeasure and all around the scene animals fled, though some were so unlucky as to be caught up in the inferno.

“Find it,” one of the men stated sharply, “ _and burn it._ ”

The imagery flickered as Vien’s memory was redirected to the imagery of their temple - a feeling of relief and safety filled Antonio that he knew to be Vien’s - but there was no reprieve for the fear, panic and growing sadness in the druid in that moment. The pathway opened and Vien set the alchemist on his feet, pressing a tome into his chest and trying to corral him into the temple.

“ _Go_ Nio…”

Antonio wrapped his left arm around the book and his right shot out to grab onto _something_ of the druid’s attire frantically. His pulse rapid, his heart beating like a drum in his chest. His eyes were wide and he was overwhelmed with the sudden surge of emotions he had to process from his mate.

“Vin, no! Where are you going? Come with me.” He understood everything, the threat, the growing urgency and he had an iron hold on his mate, refusing to let him go.

He had to limit his questions to the bare essentials, though hundreds raced through his mind to try and find the answer.

“I can’t.” Vien gave him a serious look, though with the way the cowl covered his nose and mouth, the expression was entirely in his all too sad eyes and the drooping of his ears even as he coughed a bit - as tall as he was it was nearly impossible enough for him to remain low enough to avoid the smoke, and he was clearly breathing hard after the many flights of stairs they’d taken. “... I have to protect the forest. I have to make sure there’s _something_ left of all of this.”

Despite the rush of everything, the druid’s hands came up to cup his face and the cowl moved as his mate leaned in to kiss him sweetly and briefly, pressing his forehead to Antonio’s before pulling away.

“I love you, Nio. With all that I am, I love you. I’ll find you again one day. _I promise._ But now… you _must_ go. _Please_ . If for some reason I can’t save the forests… at least let me protect _you._ ”

Antonio’s hand loosened.

He knew… He knew deep down that this was a suicide mission, that there was no coming back from this… He knew Vien’s duty was to the forest, what the druid lived for but he couldn’t see it end like this.

He couldn’t see his life partner vanish into the pyre of a burning forest.

His hold tightened once more, but in a moment the cloak jerked him off of Vien before he could even return the gesture and he cried - screamed - to get back to Vien. He howled the druid’s name as the guardian gave him one last knowing glance and abandoned him to disappear into the inferno.

“ **Vien! Let me go!** ” He shrieked against the cowl as it dragged him past the threshold of the port way literally kicking and screaming. His feet struggled to find purchase on the ground, arms scrambling to grab onto anything they could but it was no use as he was carried off.

Smoke and amber was all he saw before the roots wove themselves shut, walling him off from his beloved as the connection to the home tree sealed itself off.

The cowl let Antonio down finally.

The alchemist rushed to the barrier, hammering on it with his fists, calling out hysterically for his loved one but the door wouldn’t open.

He continued on - the skin of his hands shredding on rough wood, bleeding - Vien’s fear and determination burning through Antonio like a brand - and on - nails peeling back, fingertips bloodied, feeling as though bone and nerve endings were all that clawed at the barrier - and on until he’d exhausted himself, slumping down against the earthen wall into a ball, huddling and weeping with the cowl wrapped around his shoulders.

The worst part was the waiting. The _hope_.

He could feel Vien’s emotions still despite not knowing how long had passed; the warmth of love, the determination, the inconsolable dread in his mate as strongly as his own.

He _knew_ Vien was afraid of fire - he knew he’d watched his people burn and the marks that had left on him that he’d fought so he could do something as simple as sitting in the smithy with him while the forge was running.

It had taken him nearly a year to be able to sit at the far end of the smithy away from the forge without constantly flickering glances at first, and another two before the druid had stopped jumping at every pop and crackle of wood the forge gave off.

Even as the cowl tried to console him and nudge him away from the barrier, he felt the cool ghost of water licking his skin and sharp pain through his body. No matter how the druid might have attempted to mute it the connection was strong even over this distance and when it suddenly ceased Antonio was left with a strange sense of uncertainty and unease.

There hadn’t been the pain that would have come from burning, only a sharp feeling to the back of his head and a quiet; he didn’t feel _empty_... it felt not unlike it had when Vien had simply fallen asleep.

For a time he took solace in that and their memories together.

He thought of the ease with which Vien had manipulated the forest for their little hunting games - of how frustrated he’d been at first when he’d lose so quickly, of Vien catching him in so many different ways, and of the one time Vien had tried to allow him to win and the utter fear that had overtaken him when he’d wandered on alone for an extended amount of time before the druid finally collected him.

He thought of their first full winter together and making a pact with a lynx to wear their form - of _having a different body_ and having someone to walk him through it and make the experience, and so many others, that much more fun.

He thought of learning magic, of holding Vien close and the druid whispering soft praises and affection in his ear with every small step and every little victory.

Of the soft tickle of feathers against his skin and gentle crooning as a wake-up call...

Of talking about the applications of alchemy and magic to improve their lives and the lives of future generations...

He thought of what it would mean to never have any of those things again.

_He felt wrong_.

The day dragged on and Antonio knew well enough how humans dealt with what they perceived as magical entities. He knew there was no hiding what Vien was - it was written plainly in his features.

It was hours later when he felt that connection to Vien’s consciousness again. He felt the flare of fear and panic rise and he felt the ghost of heat and pain in his body, and he knew the man he loved hadn’t been spared a prolonged death by something as swift and clean as a blow to the head.

Vien would be made a display of, burned alive as so many of his kind had done before him - exactly as he knew the druid had feared - and Antonio was not spared the suffering but for the slight muting that occurred.

He could feel the warmth of love and regret, and there was no denying the druid was thinking of him then as the flames rose.

Antonio dragged his hands down along the wall, he hadn’t moved the entire time. Hands - fingers dug into the earthen wall, raw to the quick from trying to get out.

His arms wrapped around himself in mourning as he experienced every emotion and feeling his love had along with every pain and strife.

He felt the burning in his calves, the phantom heat coiling around him and the sting in his lungs of smoke as though he’d never left the tree. He could faintly feel the singing of hair up his arms, pain in his fingers muted twice over by the recognition of Vien’s decreased sensitivity in his fingers from damage...

He knew, _he knew_ that Vien wasn’t coming back deep down but hopelessly he clung to a thread, blind faith that _somehow_ his Vien had made it out - that all of this had been a horrible dream.

It had all happened so fast, he still hadn’t had the time to properly process all the feelings surging through him. Each feeling ripping his very entity apart bit by bit, slowly and painfully as he sat idle. There was no worse imaginable torture as every fibre of his being was torn apart at its very core.

The cloak hugged him, hugged him so tight trying to reassure him and it hardly made a difference because all the alchemist wanted to see right now was his mate.

The burning rose, coiling over considerably more sensitive regions as he felt his mate’s fear and agony grow. Terror might have been a better word for it - his hair must have caught as a burning crept along his scalp and face quite suddenly and a raw scream left him in the echo of agony that his other half was enduring… alone.

_Without him_.

“Vin… I want to see him…” He hammered his fist against the wall again, starting to get worked up again.

It could have been minutes or an eternity, but eventually he felt it - emptiness.

Nothingness.

_Loneliness._

The bond he’d grown so accustomed to simply having there as a constant sense of comfort was simply _gone._ Even the cloak that bundled around him gave a shudder that read all too easily of distress and sadness, but it did nothing to open the pathway that had been blocked - the top of which showed the smallest signs of charring as the thick wooden barrier began to fail as well.

Eventually the cloak reached to tug at his hands, trying to keep him from hurting himself any further, displaying some of its own singed edges as they wrapped around his hands protectively.

The alchemist's hands fell to his sides as the cowl tugged them down.

He was spent, weak, emotional and he wasn’t done either.

He still couldn’t conceive what had happened - everything he’d worked up to, his partner, living on his own - everything was lost. There was _nothing left but sadness_ and he was starting to spiral, _hard_.

He wrapped his arms around himself and fell to the floor in a fetal position, rocking and sobbing to himself, murmuring and babbling incoherence about how _Vin was gone_ , never coming back, it was _his fault_ , _he let it happen, he let his mate down._

He began to breath in and out heavily, heart rate picking up - starting to become light-headed.

 

* * *

  

Tony was leaning forward, arms around himself, one immediately shot out to brace himself on the desk as tears streamed down his face and the other hand clutched at his chest.

He looked around and breathed out with a rasp, panicking and shaking, trying to stand or even sit upright in his current state. Everything was too overwhelming and the air felt like it was thin in his lungs as he tried to breath.

“Tony… sweetheart, I’m right here…” A voice cooed softly in his ear, arms wrapped firmly around his waist to keep him secure. “I’m right here. I won’t let you go, okay? No matter what, I’m here… I’m not going to leave you _again_ …”

Soft kisses pressed to his neck, slightly damp as something wet seemed to trail over the back of his neck and shoulder. “You have to breathe, okay? If you can hear me… I need you to breathe. I know it’s not easy… but just… in through your nose, out through your mouth…”

The man who spoke sounded a little as though he could use to follow his own advice, his breaths unsteady and his hands trembling in their place in such a familiar way. Hair softly brushed his cheek and neck, and the voice whispered quietly.

“I love you, I won’t leave you. I’m not going anywhere…” He softly repeated like a mantra.

The engineer’s hands curled into the sorcerer’s tunic, his heavy breathing formerly erratic and hurried starting to slow and even out with those soft comforting words. Although he’d begun to calm down from his panic attack, that didn’t stop the tears from streaming down and landing on the sorcerer’s neck. His face was currently planted securely on his companion’s shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

“I-I let him down. I let him die.” Was all he could say with heavy, choked breaths as he clutched for dear life to Stephen.

“Stephen, I couldn’t do anything.” He sobbed pathetically into the sorcerer. The newly mentioned feelings had almost fallen on deaf ears with his panic attack taking hold of him like an asphyxiating grasp.

“You didn’t let him down.” The sorcerer soothed gently, petting his hair and nuzzling his nose against him. “You couldn’t have done anything. You’re right. He wouldn’t have let you. He wanted to protect you, to keep you safe _no matter the cost_ ... don’t you _dare_ blame yourself… especially not now. Not you. No matter what connections you have, _you_ are _not_ the alchemist. And _it wasn’t Nio’s fault either_.”

Fingers brushed through strands of hair gently and soft kisses were pressed to his head as the other hand remained tightly woven around his waist. “I’m so sorry, Tony. I’m so, _so_ sorry for what I’ve put you through… it doesn’t seem to matter what lifetime it is, I… always seem to let you down like this, and… _I promise you_ I’ll do everything in my power to never do it again.”

The cloak had wound itself around the both of them and after a moment of quiet sobbing the engineer’s soft mewls stopped and his breaths broke into even exhales as he regained his breath from his winded state.

He wrapped his arms around Stephen’s shoulders and sighed softly.

“I don’t care what I’ve been through, what you’ve put me through - it was all worth it, you are worth every moment of it…” His voice quivered with anxiety but he was surely regaining himself as more time lapsed following the flashback.

“I’d give the world for you...” He trailed off, the hot stream of tears finally ceasing and not long after a weak smile cracking on his face still buried in the sorcerer’s neck.

“I’d never ask for the world from you, Tony. I just want to keep you with me, always…” The sorcerer’s voice was low and quiet as he held Tony against him, a hand on the back of his head and his arm not releasing Tony’s waist even as he gave a soft sound that might have been a sniffle.

“ _I love you_ .” The words were muffled against Tony’s hair as Stephen buried his face there. “And it’s so easy to say I’d die for you but we’ve been there and done that… I’d much rather _live_ for you. _With_ you. Always.”

“Don’t leave me Stephen I can’t… I just can’t…” He rubbed his face pathetically into the sorcerer’s tunic where there was a growing we spot. “I love you so much, I don’t want you to die for me…” He rasped with a dry breath.

Tony’s hug couldn’t get anymore bone-crushing; the sorcerer was literally his lifeline. Feeling that if he let go, at any moment Stephen would vanish.

“I want you with me forever and always - until I'm on my deathbed." Tony was so busy focusing on the emotions from his dream, on his past that he didn't even realize fully the meaning of the sorcerer's words and feelings.

“I won’t. I won’t go… I’m right here. I’m with you right here, sweetheart… I’ll stay… As long as you want me I’ll stay… and I’ll love you far longer than that.” Rocking them both gently back and forth, Stephen sighed softly.

“Should we… wait on hearing the rest? … We can lay down for a while… just cuddle?” The sorcerer offered, brushing at his hair in an attempt to help him relax.

“There’s no use delaying the inevitable. I told Vien I was ready when he spoke to me - and I meant it.” Tony finally lifted his face to look up at Stephen with tear-stained eyes.

“Let's finish it.” The engineer kept his arms securely fastened around the sorcerer’s waist possessively as if the man was _dust_ and would fade away at any moment with a passing gale.

A glossy-eyed gaze met his in return and Stephen curled his other arm around Tony’s waist again, keeping them both there and allowing the cloak to bundle them up even as he closed his eyes and nodded a little weakly himself.

Together they would weather out this storm.

“Friday…?”

The A.I. seemed to hesitate only briefly before picking up where she’d apparently left off.

“He was trapped for days with no sun or moon to count the passage of time and all he could do then was write. Write about those last moments, write about their love and their hopes and dreams, and their promise.

“When the wooden barrier that had once led to the home tree finally fell entirely, the world he saw beyond was nothing but a sea of grass and stars and the impossible colours of the universe beyond. He was further from home than he’d ever known, and it felt fitting for how despairingly far he felt from the one he loved. His body was weak with hunger and while food was there beyond the barrier he couldn’t bring himself to eat, no matter what the cowl brought for him. He was alone, hollow, and felt like less than half of what he had been before.

“Instead he sealed up their works, the many trinkets, toys and projects they’d spent their years together creating, and awaited death in the hopes he could see the druid again in the afterlife. He got his wish far sooner than that.

“He couldn’t rightly say why the cowl finally wrapped itself around him and deposited him in the middle of that burned out field. Not when it was so late - too late - to do anything about it. All he found there was ash and bones, but there was no mistaking the remains of his beloved, his antlers charred and chipped but unmistakable. The soft chirps of birds could be heard, but they felt so far away.

_“Everything_ felt far away.

“He wanted little more than to have burned away with the druid, Mother knew he suffered through the physical pain enough to have done so. Instead all that was left of him worked to bury his lover’s remains, passing off their memoirs to the cowl and banishing it, entirely intent on falling asleep there with his lover’s bones and never waking again.”

“So it _was_ a tomb...” The engineer interrupted. “You were right.”

He could feel the hot sting of fresh tears at the corners of his eyes but he wasn’t about to stop them from falling.

Those tears were well deserved and a sign of respect for someone close that was lost.

“I… Know this isn't us - now at least, but I can’t help but mourn the past.” Tony said with a shaky breath. He curled up against Stephen, though the tears didn’t fall - he still mourned. He’d all but cried all he could, tear ducts dried of all he could possibly let go.

“It just feels like I lost you… and I never want to lose you ever.” He murmured into Stephen’s collar. “I know you’re here now, I can’t explain it but-” His shaky breath was cut off as he tried to convey his feelings. “It feels like you died, and I hate that…”

The cloak seemed to quiver oddly itself in its spot, reacting a little uncharacteristically as the recitation concluded and Tony spoke, before carefully adjusting itself to simply settle on the sorcerer’s shoulders as though thoroughly uncertain of its welcome, but not wanting to be far away. It made plenty of sense given that Stephen himself didn’t seem to be in the best of states.

“Thank you, Friday.” Stephen whispered quietly to the A.I., reaching down to lift Tony carefully into his arms before making his way slowly up the staircase towards his room, quiet but tearful himself.

“I’m sorry, Tony. I don’t know what more I can offer… only a promise that I’ll do everything in my power to stay with you, always. I don’t want a repeat of that any more than you do. I… hope we both deserve better.”

Tony’s mind had been so focused, eyes darting around as if he was in a waking R.E.M sleep that when Stephen had sat down on the bed with him he hadn’t even realized they’d moved. He was still trying to process everything from the story - caught somewhere between guilt and self-deprecating thoughts as if he was the sole reason for the past events unfolding the way they did.

So focused was he on the past that he was completely missing the heart of things.

Stephen was here now, Vien - the both of them successors to that intrepid and daring duo. Vien _had_ kept his promise, he _had_ returned, and despite the effects of the past there was no mistaking it through evidence that they were bound by fate.

Fate had brought them back together in a world and time where their relationship could be more compatible, having the stars align once more in a time and place that would be more nurturing and accepting to them. Everything they had done in the past was all to pave way to their future and there was no force that could stop or break those tightly woven strands. They were spiritually entangled with one another.

The sobbing subsided and as he began to feel more himself he nodded, and once again there was a smile on the engineer’s face.

“It was so hard to see it… but I had to finish it…” Tony reached up to cup Stephen’s face, the pads of his thumbs brushing over his pronounced cheeks. “Don’t cry Steph.” His panic attack had subsided and once again he felt the soft glow of emotions radiating from his chest again. “You’re here now - we’re both here now…”

The sorcerer’s arms curled around him again as he shuddered slightly, taking a deep breath and watching Tony carefully. The smile he offered was weak, but there was no denying the care with which those arms held him, particularly as Stephen rested his forehead against Tony’s with a soft sigh.

“ _Did_ you have to see it, though? Does knowing what happened make you feel any better? Any _different_ ? Sometimes the past deserves to stay where it is - that doesn’t change that I’m here now, and I doubt it _would_ change that… but it would have meant you didn’t have to suffer the way you did. Those memories could have stayed where they were - where they belonged. And with the people they belonged to.”

He sighed softly, giving Tony a light squeeze and closing his eyes. “... but I suppose we’re _both_ too curious to let _that_ happen…”

"I needed to know, Stephen… I can't explain it I just _needed it._ " He tenderly stroked Stephen's cheeks, only moving his head to gently press his lips to the sorcerer's cheeks to kiss away those tears.

Each side, done so carefully and lovingly.

"If you think about it, it was a necessary part of the plan… I don't think we would have been brought together without these memories. Each and every one is a curse and a blessing, and it binds us together - made us who we were, who we are. We wouldn't be where we are now had we not had them... And we both made a choice despite the trials and tribulations it's brought us."

After a few moments his arms curled tightly around Tony and the sorcerer rolled onto his back, dragging the engineer over and onto his chest in the process as he heaved a heavy sigh.

“You really are the kind of person who needs to just keep poking at things until they bite back aren’t you?” His tone came across oddly fond given that there was no mistaking the soft scolding in those words.

“Well, I’ve already died for you _once_ this lifetime… Let’s hope once is the quota, shall we? We’ve suffered all of this more than enough.” The corner’s of the sorcerer’s eyes crinkled a little as he offered another smile, taking a few deep breaths before reaching a hand to scrub away at the last traces of tears in his eyes. “Let them stay memories. Ours. Theirs. But _memories_... and if you’ll allow me, I’ll do everything in my power to make certain the memories we make together from here eventually wash those ones away.”

There’d been a small surprised squeak that came out of Tony as he found himself now affixed on top of the sorcerer’s chest. His arms once again found their spot around the magus’ torso and he peered at the doctor’s face with a smile that expressed some amusement at his deductions.

“I don’t want to forget, but we will make new ones in this lifetime, we’ve already come a _very_ long way.” The engineer leaned down to rest his forehead against Stephen’s chest. “I just… find it funny that we can’t seem to just have an ordinary existence in any of our lifetimes.”

Tony unwound an arm and reached over to procure one of Stephen’s hands. He picked it up like the delicate thing it was as it trembled in his own, carefully bringing those long digits to his face, leaning in and gently ghosting his lips along the topside of his fingers.

“Maybe we did. Maybe we had many of those ordinary existences. And maybe we never met in those lifetimes, and could never uncover any of this. Or maybe, just maybe, we were always _meant_ to be extraordinary people…” Stephen hummed softly, keeping one arm curled around Tony, as the cloak eventually reached to wrap around the pair of them again tentatively.

“For now, the fact remains that the druid’s promise was kept and I’m here with you now.” He gave Tony’s hand a gentle squeeze as he smiled.

_"Your promise."_ The engineer softly uttered as he continued to pepper and trace kisses up along _each and every one of those scarred digits_ with such tender care. They were a treasure he'd praise without the hymn of words or song.

"I think we should check out that tomb again..." He trailed off, words spoken out of instinct now based on the knowledge acquired through their readings.

“Are you sure you’re ready for that…?” Stephen inquired softly, tilting his head a little to watch him. “You’re allowed to take some time to process all of this. There’s no rush to do that. It’s been waiting this long… it can wait another hour… or another day, until you’re sure you’re good.”

"Well... I know you're just as anxious as I am to get into this… but it's not like I've really paid attention to _what you want_. I'm so used to going at things my way… Stephen, what would you like me to do?" Tony's voice was soft and comforting.

The engineer melted into his chest with the cloak, curling up against the sorcerer comfortably. He was happy, warm and he didn't want to put Stephen's mind into anymore stress considering what they'd both just gone through.

“I would like you to do what feels _right._ I want you to not feel like you have to rush forward into everything life throws at you with reckless abandon. And on a personal note, I’d love a good cuddle session? To just… keep you in my arms for a little bit. But I don’t want to hold you back, either. If you feel like you’re ready… we’ll go. Simple as that. The other things can wait as well.” The sorcerer gave another brief squeeze with his arm before releasing Tony, and the cloak seemed to get the picture and fall away quickly enough as well.

"Then we'll stay here, rest for a bit. We'll compromise - I want to do both but this can come first." Tony trailed off softly as he crushed himself into Stephen's front with a bear-hug. "I haven't put enough time into those I care about the most - which is you - and I don't want to be paying for it _after the fact._ " He cooed softly. "The book isn't going anywhere..."

Stephen seemed to take a moment before slowly curling his arms around Tony again, nuzzling at his hair softly and sighing a little. “We don’t have to stay here long… I assure you, I _am_ eager to see what’s behind that door and what doors we _can_ open… I’m just a little… emotional right now, I guess.” His voice was muffled, but he seemed oddly ashamed by the admission, despite the way his arms tightened around Tony to hold him. The engineer's arms pulled away, only to come back around the magus' neck and cradle his head, pressing it into his chest up against his reactor.

"I'm scared too… Though, one of us has to be _the man_ here and let on that they aren't." He laughed following that, by no means intending insult. "Whatever we have to face, we can do it together… and I'm confident we can handle it." He pressed his lips into the top of Stephen's head, cradling the sorcerer's noggin against his chest.

He _was_ scared, he _was nervous_ but with Stephen there it made it easier. They shared a deep connection he couldn't simply wave away, and the more time they spent together - the more he was inclined to indulge those shared feelings. For a moment, briefly, Stephen was still against his chest - and then his arms released Tony as he gave a slight nod.

“Well, we should get this done then, right?”

His tone had changed, and his body had become a little more tense - if those weren’t assurance enough that something about the sorcerer’s response was amiss, what had simply _seemed_ ashamed before now echoed in Tony’s chest in a way that was clearly not his own. Shame, uncertainty and guilt seemed to settle in an odd peripheral bundle of emotions that made the small smile on Stephen’s face seem utterly fake as he began to shift as though to get up.

Tony simply wasn’t convinced, words were lost on him as he was paying more attention to the sorcerer’s emotions rather than what he said. He stayed put on the magus’ chest, refusing to move and continuing to brush his lips tenderly over the doctor’s knuckles.

“Not until you're ready, Stephen… You can’t bullshit me with your words - I’m the king of bullshit, I know exactly what you are feeling whether you like it or not - and I know you feel the same way too.” He chided softly pressing his cheek into the sorcerer’s chest. “I don’t want to do this, but I know I have to. I’m just looking for a semblance of assurance - and until I get that we aren’t touching the book.”

“Then I’ll just… make some tea. I’ll be fine soon. I’m sure. I’m not trying to hold you back here.” The other’s hand withdrew from Tony’s as he tucked them slightly under himself to try and push himself up onto his elbows, shaking his head and sighing some. “Tea will help calm my nerves. If you want to wait here or downstairs or whatnot… I just need a minute to get myself together.”

"Stephen..." Tony gave the sorcerer a concerned look and he chased the other man's hand, concerned. "What's wrong...? " Although Stephen wanted to move from his spot, the engineer used his weight to keep him firmly rooted in place.

The engineer could sense something amiss but he couldn't quite tell what exactly. Guesses were all he had at this point to try and resolve the issue.

“It’s just something I have to deal with on my own. It’s not… the book, or the memories, or the tomb… it’s just… This isn’t the first time I’ve had to take a look back on my life and realize I’ve been wrong. All that time I thought I was right, and I’ve been _so wrong_ about all of it… The idea that I was just… so afraid to act on, or even consider a relationship with another man and… this was what was _meant_ to happen? I don’t know how I always wind up so certain I’m _right_ only to have it really, _really_ made clear that I couldn’t have been more _wrong_...” Stephen sighed softly, closing his eyes.

“With the memories… I’m still torn between whether that man was me or not. Because he felt things so differently than I do, and experienced entirely different things than I did despite the ones we had in common. It makes me wonder what it is that makes me fundamentally… _me_...?” His head shook slightly, and his eyes opened again to focus on the ceiling.

“I don’t want you to misunderstand, this isn’t about _you_ or any notions that I don’t think you are _precisely_ who I want to spend my life with. This is very much about me having to come to terms with _myself._ ”

Tony was seriously conflicted, this had sprung out of nowhere and he didn’t know how to deal with this specifically because it wasn’t something he _could_ deal with. He would do anything and everything in his power to remedy Stephen’s ailments, emotional burdens - _anything_.

But this simply wasn’t something he felt like he could really help with. It was out of his power and that’s what bothered him the most.

“Is there… Anything I can help with? I can’t let you go through whatever it is alone - I’m here for you Steph! - _cupcake_ , honey….”

“But I’m not alone.” Stephen smiled a little, lifting a hand to brush at Tony’s cheek gently. “It’s something in me that I have to work on, but that doesn’t mean I’m alone. That’s precisely the point of all of this, isn’t it? I’m not alone and don’t have to _be_ alone anymore, and it means _everything_ to me to know that.

“The last thing I want is for my struggles with this to be things that you take to heart, because my struggles are _not_ your fault and are _nothing_ relating to you… I don’t want you to act any differently, or be any less _you_ while I adjust. Just know that there are times that… these emotions you’re feeling from me will crop up and it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong, and I may not want to talk about it, but getting used to it will help me work on it. If something’s too much, I’ll let you know - but that doesn’t mean it will _always_ be too much.”

Tony nodded slowly in understanding and sat up. He let his hand drag over the doctor’s chest before he pushed up onto his knees.

“Did you want me to leave you to your own devices for now or did you want company?” The engineer looked up with a concerned expression. He knew the other man was anxious, concerned - _afraid_ \- but there was only so much he could do with the knowledge of those emotions.

Not everything could be fixed with help and he had to understand that some things, especially situations like these, needed care and had to be handled on their own.

It didn’t stop him from worrying.

“For now… let’s just see if there are any more of these memories that crop up in the tomb again?” He suggested with a gentle smile, sitting up and pressing a couple kisses to Tony’s jaw. “It’ll be easier to process all at once instead of in bits and pieces… so if there’s more to this and we’re this close to the end… I’d rather see it through. Plus, I still haven’t shown you the altar.”

“Stephen...” Tony took the sorcerer’s hand again as he felt those kisses peppered over his jaw. He squeezed that hand so gently, putting his other over top as he closed his eyes and relished in the moment.

“I don’t think there are anymore… We’ve seen the worst and all there is… The flashbacks, the memories - they were all keys, multiples - handed to us to open a door with many locks and we are simply waiting on the last key…” Tony trailed off as if he had the answer to it.

He turned his head to nudge his cheek up against Stephen’s in a slow deliberate nuzzle.

“And what, pray tell, do you figure the last key is…? You said yourself the druid spoke to you directly. If there aren’t anymore… great! But if there are… I’d like to try and process all of them and make sense of the whole thing all at once.”

The sorcerer leaned in against him, holding him carefully as a slightly playful feeling began to bubble around in him. “Or we can just hang out here and… I dunno… make out or something.”

“Because we are the last piece, the final key to open the door… It’s us Stephen, _just us._ ” Tony responded a little more softly the next time around.

He felt the flitting of butterflies in the pit of his stomach as he shared the feeling with Stephen. His hands loosely went to hang around the sorcerer’s waist and he tilted his head with a soft half smirk.

“I wouldn’t be wholly opposed to that idea…” He played with a quiet voice leaning in a bit.

“ _Us?_ Tony we were both in there before. Does _awareness_ make some sort of difference…?” Stephen gave him a curious look that slowly became a bit sly and playful.

“Or maybe that’s less important right now…?” He inquired, leaning back and dragging Tony down with him. “We can sort all of that out later if you’re more interested in a different kind of _’us’_ right now.”

Tony toppled down onto Stephen’s chest, his hands landed on the doctor’s front with a soft squeak of surprise in the process. His hands gently curled into the fabric of his shirt and they just as soon migrated to the doctor’s face to grasp either side and lean in until they were nose-to-nose.

“We have _all the time in the world_ , I’d rather deal with _us..._ ” His voice dropped an octave and took on a much more playful pitch as he teased Stephen, nipping at the corners of the sorcerer’s mouth.

“Well I’m relieved to hear that… I suppose we should _take some time to ourselves_ then.” The sorcerer chuckled at that, letting his hands roam over the engineer’s sides and turning his head a little to try and snag a kiss.

Tony let out a long breath as his eyes tracked Stephen with the gentle ministrations. He allowed the sorcerer to orchestrate his movements as one hand impishly reached down to toy cautiously at the edge of Stephen’s shirt, the other resting around his waist and keeping himself pressed down against his front.

“Well technically we have been taking time for ourselves,” Tony quipped softly against Stephen’s lips as if in his usual argumentative Stark fashion. “Just not… _ourselves_...” He finally let the sorcerer steal away his lips as he gave into what they’d both been anticipating.

It was hard to say how much time passed amidst their steadily more heated kisses, but it certainly wasn’t long before a throat was cleared in the background and Stephen jumped a bit in Tony’s arms, startled and confused. “If you don’t mind, I rather need to borrow the man you’re trying to devour, Stark. Though in future, might I recommend closing the door…?”  
  
Stephen’s face buried itself in Tony’s shoulder as the sorcerer let out an embarrassed groan of “ _Wong!_ ” that went mostly ignored by the other sorcerer.

“Kamar-Taj. Five minutes, Strange. Emergency.”

Tony had the side of Stephen's shirt completely ridden up his side, hand pressed up along the sorcerer's ribcage as they'd be interrupted in _the heat of a very intense moment_ . Although, rather than like their last encounter where Pepper had walked on the two of them and _Tony_ had insisted on trying to continue while under the watch of his ex, he pulled away this time and allowed the sorcerer his peace, learning full well that Stephen was incredibly particular about his PDA.

The brunette gently tapped him on the shoulder, breaking their intense lip lock with a husky chuckle as he nosed him and pulled away a bit. "Duty calls oh great and powerful wizard! I won't be going anywhere... Unless you think you'll be gone for a bit."

“Honestly his timing is absolutely _garbage_...” Stephen grumbled a bit, before sighing as he laid back into the pillows and watched Tony with a small pout.

“Unfortunately I have no notion of how long I might be. Emergency is definitely a word that sparks concern, though. Would you like me to open up a portal home for you in the meantime? I can come by after things are taken care of… bring momos? But without his giving me _any_ ideas of what’s going on, I can’t otherwise assess how long I’ll be.”

"I think that's the best, and yeah - please." Tony rolled down his shirt, leaning into _steal_ a quick kiss from Stephen before he rolled off of the sorcerer he'd been previously straddling.

"Be safe out there cupcake - I know you will, because _you're not me_ ." He winked with a soft laugh. "I may just have a _few things of my own_ to take care of while you're gone.”

Stephen gave a happy hum as he sat up and started to straighten himself out, the cloak fixing itself in its spot as the magus slipped his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet. Pressing a gentle kiss to Tony’s cheek, he smiled a bit and gave a nod.

“I have a lot of reasons to be as careful as possible. You rank very highly among those reasons.” He opened a portal to Tony’s apartment in no time at all, giving him a warm smile as he did. “I hope you have a good time. I’ll see you as soon as I’m available.”

Tony brushed his hand affectionately through Stephen’s whiskers, along his cheek with a fond smile. His face wrinkled with the elation as he nodded.

"Don't keep me waiting a _lifetime._ " He teased softly, his hand fell to caress the cloak as well before he stepped through the portal with a wave of his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two days? I guess we just love you guys! Thank you all so much for all of your feedback! Your support means so much to us!
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> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish. You can find us on Twitter:
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> [Amy (Foxglove)](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral (Bravehardt)](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	18. Into the Garden

It was nearly five days before Stephen made his ‘grand’ return with the familiar soft whirring noise of a portal opening, and by the looks of him he hadn’t made a pit-stop for anything other than momos before he did. 

The coffee table was soon settled with a couple packages of momos before the sorcerer heaved a heavy sigh, the weight of his exhaustion dragging him into a flop on the couch, and echoing itself in Tony’s peripheral sensations.

“Steph, did you even shower before coming here?” The engineer inquired as he tried to subtly tuck away what he’d been working on.

“... mmm no? Do I smell?” Stephen responded groggily, taking a moment to lift his arms to check. His nose wrinkled as though he’d decided he did, in fact, smell foul. “... I could… probably go shower. I just wanted to see you and minimize you worrying about me.”

“That’s very sweet of you cupcake, really! But I’d also like to kiss you and greet you properly, and you smell like I know not what. To be honest I can’t describe it. Is that what alien dimensions smell like?” Tony grinned a little as he finally passed his project off to Dum-E, who slipped away seemingly unnoticed as the engineer made his way over to the couch and hesitated.

Honestly, Stephen  _ did _ smell pretty awful and it was hard to say  _ what _ he was covered in that had his hair sticking almost straight up and back like some sort of anime character. Or maybe the Bride of Frankenstein given the grey strands. 

Luckily, the cloak was between Stephen and the couch, so he wouldn’t need to burn the couch.

“Less the dimension, more the aliens themselves.” Stephen responded as he hung his head a bit and shook it. “... alright. Well, I’m alive. Don’t say I didn’t let you know I’m alive! I’ll go shower and see about being a little more presentable before I return. And if you eat all the momos we’re going to have a problem. I’m half starved - we’ve had nothing but supplements since we left, and it was awful.”

“If you leave me alone with these I cannot be held responsible for what happens to them!” Tony teased with a little smirk, before giving a nod and, despite the smell, shuffling forward to find a spot on Stephen’s forehead that was somehow neither slimy nor bloodied to plant a brief kiss.

“But honestly, go shower. You’re stinking up my workshop. I will make sure there’s plenty for you to eat.”

“Mmmm… you better.” The sorcerer smiled a little before getting to his feet again, mercifully not touching Tony with his gooey-self as he opened the portal again to a familiar bathroom in the Sanctum. “I’ll be back shortly. I missed you.” He added softly, before disappearing through the portal and letting it close behind him.

Tony managed to finish off the rest of his project while Stephen went to take care of his  _ hygiene _ . The engineer was honestly glad that the sorcerer had even shown up.

It had been five  _ very long days _ without the sorcerer. When Stephen had agreed to disappear off to Kamar-Taj he hadn’t expected him to be gone that long. 

The sorcerer hadn’t even checked in -  _ not that he really could _ but it was enough time for Tony’s concern to fester as the days ticked by in worry.

Each day though he spent working, busying himself - he really only needed two days but after the second he began to draw his work out, thinking and putting more intricate details into it until he’d burnt time waiting for  _ his sorcerer _ to return.

It may have been the longest silence since they’d established their relationship and it was enough that Tony was still dying for Stephen to get out of the shower so  _ he  _ could finish showering the sorcerer with as much affection as possible. So much so he’d almost been tempted to ask Stephen if he wanted  _ company _ .

_ Though, knowing Stephen it probably was for the best he let the sorcerer to his own devices _ .

He smiled, his project having been concluded - all it took was time now, the right moment where he could put his plan into motion.

Tony took a seat on the couch, places set with utensils and plates as he waited for Stephen to return.

It was nearly fifteen minutes after Stephen had left that he returned this time and the most wizardly thing about him was his cloak as the man had donned a Pink Floyd t-shirt and a pair of jeans to return in. Quickly making his way to the engineer he flopped on the couch beside him and curled his arms around Tony tightly, burying his face in the man’s neck.

“Mmmm… better now?” He inquired as though he hadn’t even left. 

He had a couple of small cuts on his face and arms that looked like they could have been papercuts for how small and fine they were, but nothing was bleeding or seemed to indicate the man was injured in any way that was overly concerning. 

He simply seemed happy to be back and both his smile and that pocket of feelings Tony harboured that was becoming easily associated with Stephen seemed to indicate that he  _ was _ happy.

Tony just as willingly accepted the sorcerer into his arms, pulling him up over his front and into his lap as he leaned back against the armrest of the couch. 

His left hand found purchase in the sorcerer's damp hair, crushing the man's face against his chest as he let out a deep sigh.

"You know you had me worried..." His thumb brushed over the small cut on his cheek. "Where on Earth were you this whole time?" He husked softly, his free hand exploring over the many small cuts marring Stephen's skin. "I'm not haranguing you for it, I’m just glad you’re back in one piece..."

“Not on Earth at all, actually. Very much trying to stop things from being on Earth. I’m sorry I was gone so long and made you worry. These things happen sometimes…” Stephen sighed softly, kissing at his chin and cheek before cuddling in and allowing the cloak to drag one of the boxes of momos over into the sorcerer’s lap for him to pick at.

Seeming to notice the dishes all laid out, Stephen gave Tony an uncertain look as he glanced between the box of momos and dishware, before simply popping one of the momos into his mouth with a quiet, indulgent moan of pleasure at the food. 

Apparently the poor sorcerer was much more hungry than he’d let on as he tucked himself under Tony’s chin to continue to eat rather unceremoniously.

The cloak reached to grab another of the boxes to offer to Tony when it became apparently Stephen had claimed that one as his own.

"Yes but I can't help but worry, the important thing is that you're back here, now and that's good enough for me." Tony squeezed the sorcerer, reaching over for one of the momos in the box that the cloak had handed to him and taking the dumpling into his hand to nibble on.

"I know your duties will take you far away from me... for long periods of time but that won't stop me from worrying... and wondering." He devoured the rest of the dumpling, pressing his forehead into Stephen's uncharacteristically un-slicked back hair with a soft sigh.

"I care about you Stephen, a lot. I've really missed you..."

“I’ve missed you, too…” The sorcerer responded between momos, nudging himself under Tony’s chin more pointedly and seeming to be perfectly fine with being cuddled the way he was. Perhaps because he really had missed Tony enough to deal with what he might normally have considered undignified.

“I  _ am _ sorry I was gone for so long. Of course you worried, and if I  _ was _ on Earth I promise I would’ve done something to reach out and let you know it was going to be a prolonged thing. The danger to me was minimal in this instance, and in other instances I may well be able to bring you along if it’ll make you feel better. For now… I’m home, and I’m safe.” He descended into silence once again as he stuffed another momo into his mouth with a contented noise.

The engineer was less concerned about the food and more-so about enjoying his lover’s company.

His hand gently sifted through the sorcerer's hair as he indulged in his meal.  Stephen was the only thing important right now, all that really mattered for Tony.

His fingers dug into the sorcerer’s hair and combed through it in even gentle strokes, soothing and running his nails lightly over his scalp. “I think the next thing I need to make you is a phone that works in those weird freaky dimensions you always seem to disappear off into.”

“Now  _ that _ would be a hell of a trick. But if anyone could do it, I believe it would be you.” Stephen chuckled softly.

“Aside from worrying, what have you gotten up to since I’ve been away? Keeping yourself occupied  _ somehow _ I hope? Because if all you’ve been doing is pining, then I’m going to be worried about leaving you when I have to work.”

“You know it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to know I was concerned about you when you ran off to Narnia to find Aslan.” Tony smiled with that classic lopsided grin as he ghosted his lips over Stephen’s forehead.

“But no honey-bunch, I’ve been keeping myself busy with personal projects. Let’s just say I’ve been taking  _ time for myself _ . Something I haven’t done in a very long time.” He chuckled softly, thumb coming up to brush along the ridge of his jawline.

“Keeping the Earth safe means keeping  _ you _ safe, too. I worry about what happens if I  _ don’t _ find Aslan. But of course, I’m sure that’s plenty familiar to you.” Stephen smiled a little, kissing Tony’s fingers gently. “It’s par for the course.”

Finishing off his momos, he passed the empty container back to the cloak to put on the table as he cuddled in against Tony further. “I’m glad you’ve taken some time for yourself. You’re grey enough without stressing about how I’m holding up. And I  _ did _ promise to be safe.”

“What’s wrong with being grey? You seem to pull it off just fine, honestly I couldn’t see you without it. Would I be so bad with a little salt and pepper in the beard?” Tony snickered softly wrapping both arms fully around the sorcerer’s shoulders.

Tony gestured over to Levi once the trays were set down and the cloak just as happily took up it’s place around the two, swaddling their bodies together on the couch. “Don’t forget to take a page out of your own book hun, as much as I enjoy the grey and silver, I’m not exactly fond of what leads to it.” He murmured softly into the side of Stephen’s head.

“You know what I meant!” Stephen chuckled lightly at that, shaking his head some at Tony before giving a little nod. “But don’t you worry, I have plenty of absolutely mundane tasks that are a part of my job. I’m just predisposed to early greying. This started when I was twenty-two you know… so we’ll see which of us goes entirely grey first.”

“Is that supposed to be a humble brag?  _ That you’ve always looked this good from such an early age? _ ” Tony bore into the top of Stephen's head with a half scrutinizing gaze.

“Is that what you thought it was supposed to be? No. I dyed my hair through med-school. Once I was practicing medicine it seemed to make people think I was wiser for  _ some reason I can’t possibly fathom, _ ” his tone was drenched in sarcasm, but he looked amused. “So I just let it be. If people thought I was older and  _ somehow _ that made me more informed, who was I to pass it up?”

“Well you weren’t the most personable individual when we met for the first time so yeah I was subject to all sorts of assumptions. Could you blame me? We didn’t exactly get off on the best hand when we met - so yeah, sue me. I thought you dyed your hair and it was your style.  _ And it looks good _ on you - also we all thought you were kind of a weird magician and that was just your thing…” Tony started to ramble defensively.

Stephen looked confused. He outright pulled himself out from the spot he’d been tucked to give Tony a look that was utterly perplexed. Rather than letting Tony continue his aimless rambling however, Stephen simply pressed his lips against Tony’s gently, brushing at his hair with a hand and shifting in his lap some.

The cloak loosened up enough for Stephen to move around and Tony’s words had been utterly muffled by the collision of their lips - unexpected but welcomed nevertheless. The other man’s fingers left soft trails of tingles in his scalp as they sifted through his short hair.

Tony mumbled something quiet against the sorcerer’s lips but it wasn’t in any effort to try and overshadow the gesture.

The sorcerer pulled away with a soft laugh. “You can’t even stop talking when you’re being kissed, huh?” He teased lightly. “I have no idea what you said. But the words were tasty.”

“Oh I’ll give you something tasty...” The words were muttered quietly under the engineer’s tongue, knowingly out of audible range of the sorcerer. The cloak shook with amusement around the both of them. 

Tony leaned in again to steal a few more kisses, seizing the sorcerer’s lips in half kisses with a couple soft smacks before pulling away with a tender smile reaching ear-to-ear in appreciation before he finally spoke up again now that he could.

“So… Did you want to try going into that tomb again… pick up where we left off?”

“Now that I’m showered and well fed…? Why that sounds excellent if you feel like you have a little time to spare doing so.” Stephen offered a sunny smile in return, but made no efforts to remove himself from Tony’s lap despite his words. “Of course, if you’re busy with you time, I can always let you have a bit more of that. I get the feeling you don’t dedicate nearly enough time to yourself lately.”

Tony’s arms shot out and he immediately grappled Stephen around his waist, holding him tight.

“You  _ are _ my me-time.” He chuckled softly, determined to show Stephen that he was his first priority. “I’ve been waiting five entire long days, don’t you think about taking off for even a moment because I’m not going to give you  _ the time of day _ .”

A shaky hand rose as a single index finger pressed to the engineer’s nose and Stephen offered a sly smile. “ _ I _ am not  _ you _ time, Tony. You deserve to have personal time that isn’t  _ us _ time. But if what you  _ want _ is ‘us’ time, I’m perfectly happy to finally check out that tomb and see if we can open the door. We’ve both been waiting a good long while, and I won’t lie it’s been driving me nuts considering  _ how _ ‘we’ are supposed to be the key.”

Tony almost went cross-eyed trying to follow Stephen's finger. “I want my ‘me’ time to be ‘us’ time then. It would make me literally the happiest man in the world. I’m just as anxious to find out the secret of this tomb as you are - and I think I might have an idea on what to do.” He let out long exhale.

“Well, my clever dumpling, I look forward to seeing what you have in mind. You’ll have to loosen your hold there though if you’re expecting me to get up and open a portal. Not that I couldn’t open it from where I’m sitting, but I somehow doubt it would be particularly useful if we’re both stuck here on the couch.” Stephen’s smile didn’t falter as he leaned to press a brief kiss to Tony’s cheek, moving his hand to try and gently coax them into unwinding from his waist.

Tony eventually unwound himself from the sorcerer’s waist with his guidance, though it was reluctant. He could wholly sense the anticipation in the other man’s voice, a shared excitement for the both of them as he followed Stephen’s enthusiasm. 

The engineer just as soon rose to follow as the cloak completely unwound from the both of them to settle on Stephen’s shoulders. “Lead the way, maestro.”

Watching a casually dressed Stephen open a portal was quite an odd sight to say the least, but soon enough a portal was opened briefly to allow Stephen to gather up the book, closing shortly after, before one opened into the familiar stone corridor that seemed to light itself up brightly the moment the sorcerer stepped through - an unusual green light adding itself to the walls where it hadn’t been before. 

Whether Stephen noticed or not was difficult to say as the sorcerer simply offered a hand back through the portal to Tony, his other arm wrapped around the book and a warm smile on his face. 

It was  _ their _ spot. A place that was theirs and theirs alone… and just as it had once belonged only to the druid before he’d welcomed the alchemist into his life, Stephen had seemed to take on a similar stance. 

This place belonged to the  _ both _ of them.

The stone work welcomed them as Tony took Stephen’s hand through the breach and stepped down onto the lonely cobbled stone mosaic of the vault floor. As if separated and now reunited, the lights sprung to life to illuminate their path in welcome, blue and orange dancing and mingling on either side of them.

Tony was rushed with a wave of familiar, loving energy - it washed over him in a deluge of such extreme force, Tony had almost been winded and knocked off of his feet. It had felt like a monumental amount of energy had bottlenecked and someone had opened the dam to let the waters flood through. He was charged to his core, the energy shot through his body to his finger tips sending pins and needles through his body in a first, volatile wave before the rush settled and his body was light and tingly with the curious energy.

Tony tightened his hold on the sorcerer’s hand and steadied himself as he pressed into Stephen’s side, a disoriented countenance lingering as he recovered from the rush. 

He looked to Stephen with a half-inebriated smile and nodded towards the unopened door.

The cloak curled itself around Tony to brace him against Stephen’s side and the sorcerer himself held a little tighter to Tony’s hand for a moment as he led him towards the door, pausing outside of it to set the book down on the worktable.

“So… are you ready to share the secret of the door opening with the class…?” The doctor asked with a wholly warm smile, leaning to bump his head against Tony’s lightly.

“It’s us - it’s always been us. We just didn’t know how.” He let go of the sorcerer’s hand as they stopped outside of the door. He turned to Stephen and rolled up his shirt to expose the arc reactor that seemed to have taken on a more aqua tinted glow. 

He fingered around the exterior, clicking a release mechanism on it before he pulled off the glowing reactor and exposed his bare chest underneath.

Right at the seat of the base was a glowing rune, radiating with life energy, shimmering as small particles of light began to funnel into the exposed rune as he displayed it for both Stephen and the cloak to see.

“We just… weren’t ready at the time.”

“Tony…” Stephen looked a bit startled as he leaned over a little to look at the rune with confusion before his fingers raised to gently trace the rune in the air. “This… do you know what this is?”

Below where the shimmering orange version of the rune on Tony’s chest hovered, Stephen broke the rune into two separate indicators, naming them as he drew each. “Love… Destiny - or fate, or inevitability, or any number of other interpretations thereof. But the shape of the two put together is fascinating, isn’t it…?”

Grey eyes flicked between the runes he’d drawn, the one on Tony’s chest, and the door with a great deal of curiosity. “You think this is it?”

“A part of me, and a part of you…  _ This is us, our past, our future and our legacy. _ ” His chest tingled as Stephen ran his fingers over the spot between his pecs, the trace of his digits burning cold streaks into his hot flesh.

Tony placed his reactor aside, he rolled his shirt down again - the rune still vivid through the fabric of his top. He held out his hand again to Stephen, palm upwards as he waited for the sorcerer to once again take his hand.

Stephen’s hand settled into Tony’s without reservations as he took a deep breath and looked at the man. “Well then. If you figure we can do this… let’s see, shall we?” His hand squeezed a little tighter for a moment as he turned his eyes to the door, considering it carefully.

Tony simply smiled, the wrinkles on his cheeks bunching with his merriment. Instead of leading Stephen over to the door, he bent down over on a knee in front of him to press a kiss to the top of his hand taking his time as he traced his lips over the sorcerer’s shaky knuckles.

He reached around with his free hand to pull something out of one of his back pockets as he misdirected.

The sorcerer seemed to pause a little at the movement and sudden kisses to his hand, glancing away from the door and back to Tony. It took him a moment to look confused, before some combination of surprise and understanding washed over him.   
  
“...  _ Tony…? _ ” he inquired quietly, his voice low and utterly laden with emotion. With the bond they’d formed - it was nearly impossible to ignore the uncertainty and caution, nor the swell of warmth and love that seemed to settle in Stephen as he observed Tony.

“It’s probably taken lifetimes to get this right and I’m not going to let it slip away like it did before.” Tony didn’t meet the sorcerer’s eyes as fumbled to procure the box and finally used the side of his pant leg to push the box open.

“I don’t know what the future holds for us, and I know it hasn’t been that long now… but I know it’s been centuries since this all started and I think that’s long enough for me.” He pried the box open and held it out in his other hand to display a band woven with different coloured metals - green, brown, red, gold, silver, just like vines over a tree with a diamond at the center of it.

“I know you were never one for flare - just let me have this one…” He finally let go of Stephen’s hand to offer up the ring in both. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you Stephen… Will you have me... will you  _ marry me? _ ” He finally looked up at the sorcerer with an innocently soft gaze.

“You never do  _ anything _ in half measures, do you…?” Stephen’s voice seemed to catch for a brief moment, his eyes seeming to sparkle - though that was likely the light catching tears in his eyes as he took a brief moment to breathe and try to compose himself. 

_ He at least did Tony the service of nodding while tried to sort himself out. _

“Yeah. I mean, this is entirely the opposite of patience but… yeah.” He sounded a little breathless, or maybe as though something was caught in his throat, it was hard to say. “We’re not… rushing the stuff that comes after though, I hope? I mean… there’s so much stuff I need to work on before I’m ready for… some big…”

Eventually he simply trailed off, looking at Tony and the ring with an utter swelling of that same warmth and love he’d had earlier and much less of the uncertainty and caution. “... get off your knee and come kiss me, old man.”

“Says the man with the grey streaks and thousand year old past self...” Tony had the most dopey expression on his face as he finally lifted himself off the ground to respond to his demand. He took the ring out and slipped it over Stephen’s finger before knitting his digits with the sorcerer’s trembling ones and pushing up on his tippy-toes for a kiss.

Tony’s other arm reached up to grapple the back of Stephen’s neck softly as he pulled him in, locking their lips together and letting his eyes fall shut to just enjoy the moment.

Every feeling synchronously ricocheting back and forth like an echo chamber of emotion as he indulged in those sensations. Stephen would make him the happiest man alive and words simply couldn’t convey how he felt in that moment right now.

Stephen’s fingers curled around Tony’s hand tightly as he leaned down a little to meet the other. His free hand curled around Tony’s waist to pull him in close and rather unbidden the cloak wrapped around Tony to lift him entirely, giving him plenty of height to work with and leaving neither of them craning their necks. Stephen barely suppressed a soft laugh at that, muffling it into the kiss for a few moments before pulling back to simply rest his forehead against Tony’s, watching him with an expression that absolutely echoed the adoration pouring out of him.

“You are going to make a sap out of me… you know that, right? I legitimately feel like I’m made out of sap at this moment. It’s a sticky feeling and I can’t seem to hold myself together.” The sorcerer grumbled, though his adoration never seemed to wane. 

He lifted their entwined fingers up for a moment to kiss Tony’s hand, before pulling back slightly to look at the ring, and his expression slowly changed.

“So the sugary-sweet pet names always work on you for  _ just _ that reason, very well.” The engineer huffed softly, voice gravelly and just above a whisper. He was inhaling the direct fumes of Stephen’s emotions, working himself up as he likewise combated the gentle choked-up feeling from being so emotionally overwhelmed.

The cloak picking him up was second nature at this point, shoulders warm under their soft, silken grasp.

“... Tony, this is…  _ beautiful _ ... where did you…?” He didn’t so much as finish the question before seeming to realize, lifting his focus from the ring to Tony again in surprise. “Did you…  _ make _ this…?”

“Yes, it’s a little unconventional but… I wanted this to be different,  _ special _ , and nothing else would have sufficed in my eyes. It’s not like you never crafted and poured your heart out into this very room for  _ us. _ ” His fingers grazed softly through the fine hairs on the back of Stephen’s neck.

There was no moment more perfect than right now, the present - an absolute  _ gift _ among gifts.

“Mmmm, sometimes I forget what an excellent craftsman you are…” Stephen murmured softly, continuing to admire the ring, rotating his hand a little to let the light catch the various different coloured metals of the ring and smiling a smile that seemed almost stuck where it was.

His eyes lifted once more to look at Tony. “And I almost forgot about the door, too. Did you  _ actually _ have an idea of how to open it, or was this all an elaborate proposal scheme?”

“Well, part of it would have to do with the door, but I have been thinking long and hard about this. I figured this would be the best opportunity. That being said,  _ cupcake _ \- I do know how to open the door.” Tony smiled softly.

“Levi, sweetheart, I need you to put me down. Or at least float me over to the door.” He nodded his head, still keeping a hold on Stephen’s hand as his feet kicked idly like a toddler as he was suspended in the air.

The cloak bundled around him tightly, brushing at his cheeks before it finally set him down - not letting go… but setting him down so he could lead Stephen over there, tethered by their hands.

“Like I said before Steph, we’ve always had the key… we just needed to figure out how to use it.” He tapped the rune on his chest, reaching for the keyhole which was apparently empty at the moment. Although when his hand got closer, something materialized in the hole that looked to be spade-key made out of aqua-blue light

Stephen followed along with him, watching his hand carefully with some excitement and anticipation mixed with a hint of fascination as the key began to show itself. The sorcerer leaned in a little to watch the key, at first scrutinizing the display with a smile. “The key was related to that weird feeling in your chest that we assumed was the arc reactor…?”

“A little bit, yes… I had to go ahead and  _ remember _ some long forgotten knowledge. This place helped me get it all back...” Tony pulled Stephen over by his hand, letting go before he guided the sorcerer’s over the top of the one he had around the key.

The spade fully materialized, a large, intricate and blue ethereal key. As Stephen’s hand wrapped around his own, orange veins shot through the shaft of the key and there was a small spark in the keyhole. The key dispersed into shards of floating light before there was a loud whir and a hum as the door began to light up.

Trails and rivers of runes, one side lighting up golden and orange while the other side lit up aqua - just like the tomb before the hollow sound of stone began to rumble and the door started to open.

“ _ Oh! _ ” Stephen’s surprise was clear as it all took shape, his gaze lifting to look around as the door cracked open and the moment there was even the slightest bit of space the cloak disappeared from Tony’s shoulders to slip through into the dark room beyond. “When you said ‘us’ I don’t know why I didn’t think… I mean, I don’t have any marks like that as far as I’m aware, so I just assumed…”

Stephen started a couple different sentences, but clearly his excitement was getting ahead of him as he reached to gently nudge the door further open and the stone gave way into a room that neither of them had seen before. 

If a garden and a library had been somehow merged it might’ve looked something like this - walls lined with shelves built into them covered in books and scrolls and various knicknacks, stone platforms raised here and there with metal trinkets and wooden ones, some tall enough to come up to Tony’s chin, others small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. 

Tony immediately followed Stephen inside, his anticipation brimming just as much as the sorcerer’s.

No other greenery had grown inside the tomb, but this room seemed to somehow bloom without sunshine - though as it lit up a spot on the ceiling began to glow quite brightly, as though a miniature sun had been spawned there.

The cloak was happily twitching around to interact with a few things almost as though it was greeting old friends, but it returned very shortly with something cradled in its folds to present to the duo excitedly. 

While the room slowly seemed to brighten, so too did the automaton the cloak held out to them, seeming to grow steadily brighter as it came closer to the duo and starting to twitch and move, creaking something terrible, and Tony knelt down to see the small construct the cloak had retrieved. 

The noise it made when it came to life was anything but pleasant, though soon enough the lines of power radiated from its being and Tony watched as something he could have only described as a myth or a legend sprung to life before his very eyes. 

A hand shot straight to his mouth and he was overwhelmed with emotion seeing the small automaton again. All of this felt akin to visiting a place in the past one had such fond memories of - a place lost and tucked away in the fabric of time and space one would dream about - but this was very much a reality.

Tony picked up the golem that was just as happy to be retrieved, looking curiously around at the two as it noiselessly inspected its  _ guardians _ . “I can’t even believe this Stephen! I knew it was true… but seeing this with my own eyes.” He murmured through the hand that was over his mouth still trying to recover from the shock of it all.

“... This is… Pete…” Stephen stated softly in response, sounding about as incredulous as Tony felt. “All of this is…” He didn’t so much as reach out to the creature to begin with, running a hand into his hair and looking utterly dumbfounded before the cloak settled on his shoulders and gave him a gentle nudge in, leaving him to crouch down beside the construct himself, slowly reaching a hand of his own out.

“I’m so sorry you’ve been waiting so long, little one. I hope you had a good sleep and didn’t notice the passing of time…” His hand settled on the automaton’s head as it twitched a little in response but otherwise seemed perfectly content with the contact. “... geez, engaged  _ and _ reunited with a long,  _ long _ lost child in the same day… This is a lot to process."

Tony laughed softly under his breath as he held the small creature, swaying it a bit in his arms before slowly setting the golem down on the floor. 

“Maybe, but it’s not like we haven’t been through worse and had to process much more radical circumstances than this… Whatever we have left - whatever all this is? I’m ready for it - 110% in. I always have been. Especially with you doc.” The brunette’s voice was soft as he let their small little  _ son _ down. It curiously walked up to Stephen’s feet, buzzing around him as if wondering why his parents  _ looked so different _ all of the sudden.

“Well, whatever all of this  _ is _ it’s  _ ours _ ... and honestly there’s a lot to process from that, too. I don’t know what most of this stuff is yet. I’m… really excited to start taking a look through things to see what we’ve got.” Stephen admitted with a quiet laugh of his own, remaining crouched and offering his hands to the automaton to let it investigate him as it pleased.

The cloak reached around to give Pete an affectionate pat of its own before relinquishing Stephen and attempting to gather Tony’s attention to show him around the place, though it didn’t grab him or nudge him in any way. It simply fluttered its way over to this and that, making grand flapping gestures at some of the mechanical bits and pieces, paying no mind to the continued sounds of stone moving throughout the tomb. Now and then it seemed to pat or pet small things, though unlike the automaton many things didn’t seem to wake and begin to move the same way, though one or two lit up even at the simple touch of the cloth.

Tony watched on with fondness as the cloak lead him around the room, excitedly flitting from station to shelf to show Tony around.

Pete seemed to trample after him with little clunks as he walked from diagrams to unfinished projects left out in their respective table spots. Some places reagents had been left out and it was surprisingly as if nothing in the tomb had been touched or timeworn since it’s discovery. There were red feathers in bunches and piles in different places, several mounted racks on the walls which he could have only assumed belonged to Vien.

One of the antlers that sat by his station looked as if it had been shattered at the base and Tony couldn’t help but pick it up and look at it  _ so fondly and lovingly _ as he remembered exactly where these had come from.

He picked it up, cradling it with both hands as he walked it back over to the sorcerer.

Despite the cloak’s dramatic calls for attention and Pete following after Tony, Stephen seemed to have gotten caught up in looking at the shelves with a wistful curiosity. He didn’t touch anything, his finger simply running along the stone shelf as he looked at the spines of a few books, tilting his head now and then in an attempt to read the writing on the scattered scrolls without touching them.

“I guess now I have  _ two _ libraries I need to get properly cataloged.” He hummed softly.

“Honey, I swear if this place ends up becoming a hurricane of books like your library in the Sanctum then you and me are going to have a real problem.” Tony flashed Stephen a teasingly scrutinizing look as his fists tightened around the branch with a smirk. 

“That can be our first official argument as an engaged couple.” He walked over to Stephen and peppered a quick kiss on his cheek.

“I told you! That is  _ not my fault! _ ” Stephen huffed a little indignantly as he turned to face Tony, pausing for a moment to look at the antler Tony held with confusion. “What do you- is that my -  _ Ščevjen’s _ \- antler?”

He looked hesitant for a few moments, reaching out to touch it gently and giving a small smile. “... Well. Fancy that…”

Tony had that accusatory smirk on his face regardless as Stephen started to get all up in a tizzy about the library situation. It was adorable, and it was how the engineer seemed to enjoy getting his kicks now given the man’s normally kept together and straight disposition.

Also Tony was just an argumentative shit-disturber, plain and simple.

“Yeah,  _ really brings back memories.” _ He pointed to the cracked base of the antler with a gentle chuckle. “I’m still having a hard time getting over this place… That at one point this was all really ours. Well, it still is.”

Stephen’s nose wrinkled at the engineer before his face flushed with colour as he seemed to realize what Tony was implying with the antlers and looked away with an odd sort of shy embarrassment. The engineer let out a hearty chuckle, pleased with the reaction he’d manage to draw out of his companion.

“I know what you mean… I feel like I shouldn’t touch anything. Like moving any of this is… somehow not my right, or not okay, or if I touch them they’ll disappear or something.” Stephen’s fingers settled on the shelf as the cloak finally returned to drape itself over his shoulders and the sorcerer’s free hand raised to pet it gently. 

A hand finally reached from the shelf to pick up a scroll and he worked to delicately unravel it. It didn’t fall apart, turn into dust, or otherwise go awry, leaving Stephen to heave a sigh of relief as he carefully continued to unravel it. “This place… everything seems to be preserved by magic.”

“Yeah, like nothing has aged or even had the properties or capabilities of aging. On the other hand we don’t know what will happen if any of these artifacts or items ever leave the vault so it’s probably best to leave things in here.” Tony’s grin lingered as he went to put the antler down and rejoin the sorcerer as he started perusing the collection of scrolls and books.

“I’d rather keep them in here anyway. This is still where they  _ belong… _ even if they’re ours, this is where they  _ should _ be. There’s lots of space here to study, lots of light to read by… so much less likely to be intruded on…” Stephen sighed softly as he looked over things, clearly attempting to see if he could read anything before shaking his head and carefully putting the scroll back right where it was before.

“I suppose I’ll need to start trying to study the language with Friday if I want to read any of this without waiting for translations… It’s going to take some work. I wonder if any of the other doors have opened as well…”

“You know, I wouldn’t mind learning some of that with you… It could be something we could do together.” Tony smiled a little sheepishly. “I’ll set you up with Friday, get you your own device and all. I figure this is akin to learning your own  _ native language _ and considering how  _ entangled _ our lives were - and still are - I think I owe it to you and Vien to learn a little more about the culture.”

Tony bent down to pick up Pete as the small automaton bumped with little coordination into the side of his leg. He held the small golem that looked ever curiously between its two parents.

“I somehow doubt we’re going to be able to get much of an opportunity to learn to  _ speak _ a language like this, but I’d hardly be opposed to learning the language with you. Though, if you’re planning on creating  _ any _ sort of device for me you’ll need to keep in mind it’ll be needing to function around a lot of magic at times. If we can figure out some way to connect Friday to this place though… that might go a long way towards creating some sort of interdimensional communication method. Maybe we should start with something like that?”

Stephen smiled warmly as he reached a hand out to stroke Pete affectionately, giving a soft hum. “And as for this little guy… are we leaving him here to protect things? I feel a little bad leaving him on his own, but I don’t know if the state of the modern world is going to be any good place for him.”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to figure something out… I’m assuming that you'd be keeping a portal open, or as long as you have something that is part of my computer system she would be able keep you uplinked regardless. Portals will open the network, she will be able to connect to my network and transfer data, just keep that in mind… But most of the information you need is accessible in the device itself already and if it’s not I’ll make sure it is.” He flashed Stephen a wide grin and reached over to place a hand on the small of the sorcerer’s back.

“I’ll make sure you have everything you need, cupcake.” He leaned in to steal a kiss from the sorcerer.

Stephen accepted the brief kiss with a small chuckle, though the moment he pulled away he made it clear he had a lot of thoughts on the whole subject.

“If I keep a portal open or anything like that it’s not going to help with staying in contact during my interdimensional excursions. I can’t keep a portal open to Earth during those times or I create additional risk. Naturally I can keep it open while we’re here so long as I’m conscious in some way - astrally or physically - but if I lose consciousness that would make it a little challenging to get you back home from here as well.” 

The sorcerer’s smile didn’t wane and pair spent hours discussing the possibilities back and forth while absently perusing their newly rediscovered room. 

It was nearly dinner before they realized how many other pathways had been opened to them in the tomb and as eager as both men were to explore further, they agreed to simply get something to eat and spend some time in each others’ company before bed. They had all the time in the world to explore more the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that…

They spent more than two months steadily integrating into each other’s lives further, both exploring their not-so-secret lair (that Wong felt the need to intrude on now and then, either on behalf of Pepper or Rhodey seeking Tony, or out of a need for Stephen’s help) and exploring their own relationship. 

It took Stephen only about two weeks to agree to have a movie night with Pepper, Happy and Rhodey, during which the pair happily (and nervously) announced their engagement to Tony’s best friends. The trio had varied reactions, though when Stephen piped up to make it clear that it wasn’t meant to be a  _ short _ engagement, everyone seemed to more easily accept the idea.

Wong, ever the observant one, didn’t miss the ring. He didn’t seem surprised, which proved a surprise to  _ Stephen, _ but his vague approval seemed to ease the sorcerer’s mind some, and between that and their movie night things eventually led to Tony finally getting to meet Stephen’s mysterious ex-girlfriend, a Doctor Christine Palmer. 

The woman was admittedly a force to be reckoned with and upon being informed all in one sitting of Stephen’s sexuality, his relationship with Tony  _ and _ his engagement to Tony, the engineer couldn’t help but feel a little bad for her.

It took the sorcerer showing off the repair job Tony had done on his watch to start to soften her from her rigid state while she took some time to get a grasp on things, and eventually the doctor seemed to relax a bit. 

She needed time to process everything and the couple agreed to give her that time - but it didn’t stop her from giving Stephen a hug before they parted ways. As anxious as the encounter had left Stephen, Christine had messaged him nearly a week later and the two had a couple of brunches following that which seemed to bring Stephen back down from his nervous edge.

From there things in general seemed a lot more harmonious between Tony and Stephen in both their private lives  _ and _ their social one. 

It took three months before the pair had both become reasonably fluent in reading the druidic language, but there was so much material in their ‘secret garden’ to get through and so many things happening in their social life that the pace of getting through everything slowed rather dramatically. As fascinating as their findings were, they weren’t prioritized over the life Stephen and Tony were trying to build together.

Stephen began making distinct attempts to be more open about his affections and their relationship, enough so that despite his former bluster about the Avengers not needing to know about them fell by the wayside as he’d been caught more than once looking bed-ruffled in the Compound’s cafeteria, and Tony found himself on the receiving end of a couple of different congratulations. He expected people had come to their own conclusions on the matter, but Stephen admitted that he might have mentioned it to a couple of them himself - the sometimes present Scott Lang whom Stephen seemed to find thoroughly entertaining, and the ever curious Peter who insisted he hadn’t wanted to make any assumptions unless they clarified it themselves.

Periods of study and research that day had lead into more quality time spent between the two. It was one of those rare instances where the both of them had neither been interrupted by their professional and moral obligations nor the people around them by association to those respective avenues. 

The two had been graced with an entire day of uninterrupted study, working on the languages and study of different cultures and spells. Tony was even curious enough to go poking his nose into some of the spell books now that he understood some of the mantras and the basis for them. Of course, without any magical inclination of his own, there was only so much a  _ perfect tongue _ could guide him in his  _ intimacy _ with the druidic language. 

One such incantation, a small growth spell for a plant. Tony had been eyeing as it looked like alchemy could also play a part in it’s execution as much as a connection to the magic itself. Working on his pronunciation of some of the words in the spell, he peered over at one of the myriads of budding flowers in their work space and uttered the small incantation with perfect speech.

The plant twitched, and Tony squinted.

It then began to rise, stretch heavenwards towards the source of light within the room until pale green stems peeled back at it’s precipice to expose a  _ cherry red _ interior. Petals unfolding and growing before his very eyes as if there was a forward moving time-lapse.

Tony simply peered at it, perplexed.

Had he just…?

_ No, impossible. _

The flower continued to grow until the botanical wonder had bloomed into a full-fledged flower, sparkling at its center and joining the ranks of other beautiful foliage around the room. 

The engineer’s heart was hammering in his chest - he needed to tell Stephen. 

_ Right now. _

The chair kicked out from under him and he darted for the portal, hurtling through the amber ring and into Stephen’s bedroom.

“Stephen?” He called, a hint of anxious excitement laden in his voice as he thoughtlessly rushed to the bathroom where he heard the water running. He barged in without consideration in his excitement and  _ immediately realized his mistake. _

 

* * *

 

Stephen was startled to say the least. 

He’d grown used to (and grateful for) Tony’s company in the Sanctum, and even to extensive cuddles and sleepy conversations. He’d grown familiar with Tony’s morning habits and adjusted to them where he could, and with the knowledge that his fiancé required at least a cup of coffee before he was ready to deal with most conversations that weren’t lighthearted sweetness, or grumbles about wanting to sleep more. 

He’d even gotten used to somehow managing to be the small spoon despite the fact that Tony seemed to wrap around him like a living backpack while he slept.

Tony barging in on him in the bathroom? 

He had not gotten used to that. It hadn’t  _ happened _ before.

For the most part Stephen still made efforts to keep his nudity to himself, or at least maintain a modest turned back when he was changing - or Tony was - and this was  _ entirely _ out of the norm. Yet somehow, despite being startled, his surprise and alarm mostly seemed to ease away as he realized Tony was all at once excited and a little bashful when he realized what he’d done.

The sorcerer simply smiled, allowing the feelings to ease away and settle into a state of calm amusement and anticipation.

“Whatever you’ve done must be pretty exciting for you to feel the need to come in here and tell me…” He drawled as he worked on lathering his stomach and hips with soap. “What’s going on?”

The brunette’s back was turned in an instant and he would have left when the cloak showed up having bolted after him from the commotion, blocking his way back out and leaving him standing there back-turned to Stephen.

Not that Tony Stark was ever one to be so modest - but when it came to respecting his fiancé's comfort and space?  _ Then yes. _

Stephen could only assume that it had been less about the fact that he was embarrassed staring at another man nude, in fact,  _ his man _ \- rather his fiancé's flustered state could have possibly been drawn from a place of bearing witness and inclination of intimacy the two had been holding off from for a long time. 

So could it be helped when the poor engineer had rushed in  _ without thinking _ and basically seemed like he’d seen something he wasn’t supposed to?

_ No, not really. _

“Shit sorry Stephen, I-I didn't mean to-” The engineer had turned his back so quickly, Stephen’s smile might have been lost on him because he showed no signs of really noticing the tenderness in his gaze - that, or the amusement and meekness in the sorcerer’s voice.

“I just - once you get out of here, I need to show you something…” There’d been a pause between his words, the only ambiance in the room was the running water in the shower.

“Tony, it’s fine…” He insisted after a moment, rinsing himself off and giving Tony and the cloak a perfectly loving look. “I still have to wash my hair yet. I’m assuming  _ you _ still smell like grass and parchment from earlier… did you want to join me?” Stephen smiled playfully to himself, feeling the butterflies of nervousness in his stomach only briefly before it subsided.

Tony seemed to flinch for a moment as if registering those words, but there was no opposition from the man who turned around to greet Stephen with rosy cheeks and a confused and innocent look on his face. 

After a moment, that confusion turned to a sheepishness and he stared right back at the sorcerer and made it known that he was  _ checking Stephen out _ .

“Honey… you’re dumping chum into the ocean while swimming in shark infested waters.” The engineer trailed off, his sheepishness turning into a slightly wanton and hungry expression.

“If you think a sorcerer’s afraid of a shark, you’ve got a few things to learn still, my love.” Stephen smiled all the more. 

He couldn’t bring himself to be ashamed of being observed - he saw no reason to. He was fit, between martial arts training, yoga, and his general duties there wasn’t much he could bring himself to be embarrassed about beyond the knowledge that unlike with other public showering situations, Tony’s eyes on him weren’t a simple passing glance.

Rather than wallowing too much in that line of thought, he simply started on washing his hair with a hum. “So are you not interested then?”

“You don’t need to ask me twice.” He nodded with a sweet smile and began to undress.

Unlike the usual motions the engineer went through to impress and peacock, he simply did what he meant. He made no show, no ritual of removing his clothing - the casual tank, pants next and then the partially obscured undergarments by the steam in the stall. He let it drop to the floor, standing there in the nude without much idling between doing so as he slid the glass shower door open and joined Stephen.

His gaze didn’t linger this time except for on the sorcerer’s face as he meekly dropped his arms around his lover’s shoulders and simultaneously pulled Stephen in while at the same time, leaning and pressing him up against the shower wall. 

Their bodies melded together and there was no shortage of attention between the two as they were pressed flesh-to-flesh. Though that wasn’t the focal point right now. The engineer went straight for his companion’s lips, leaning in to press a brief, intimate kiss to him before pulling away to get a quick quip.

“You let me know at any point if you want me to back off… With that in mind - I’ll  _ try _ to behave.”

“ _ You? Behave? _ Well, I’m flattered.” The sorcerer gave a small grin to try and hide his embarrassment (though he wondered why he bothered - Tony was plenty capable of reading his emotions in the most passing manner) taking a moment to rinse his hands of the shampoo before curling his arms around the engineer and stroking at his back lightly. “I had rather imagined we’d get cleaned up… I suppose I should’ve expected otherwise though.”

Pressing a gentle kiss to Tony’s forehead, Stephen sighed softly. “Let me rinse my hair quickly at least so that I’m not getting shampoo in my eye?”

“You know I wouldn’t mind doing the honours for you -  _ they do say _ that one of the most romantic things you can do with your partner is wash their hair for them - and don’t ask me who, we are leaving it at an ambiguous  _ they _ ...” The engineer preened under the sorcerer’s affection and only returned the affection to the other man's chest.

He reached up and began to run his fingertips over the doctors scalp, combing through the wet mounds of hair and working the soap out. In the process he'd press up further against Stephen, sandwiching him into the wall.

With a little chuckle Stephen lowered his head to make it easier for Tony to reach, nestling his nose against the crook of Tony’s neck in the process and pressing a couple of kisses there. 

“Oh? Is that romance these days? I always miss the memos on these things.” A few more light kisses followed as he smiled, allowing his hands to gently run along the muscles of Tony’s back affectionately.

The engineer’s fingers coursed softly through the sorcerer’s hair again, grabbing fistfuls and lightly pulling then digging back in again until the slickness from the soap had been entirely rinsed free of his lover’s hair. It made it so much easier for Tony to reach now with Stephen’s head lowered.

After he’d finished - both arms came to wrap around Stephen’s head to embrace him. “It is - but like I said -  _ they say. _ ” Tony chuckled, tilting to press a loving kiss against the side of the doctor’s head. “This is all so perfect right now it’s almost surreal.” He commented softly with a gentle squeeze.

“Mmmm you still smell like grass and dirt, though.” The sorcerer responded from his spot. “Should I wash you, too?  _ Romantically? _ ”

“You can try, dear… But I’ll tell you now that no amount of soap and water is going to remove the dirt from me.” Tony’s grin stretched from ear-to-ear but with a final drag of his nails lightly over Stephen’s scalp, his hands fell to the sorcerer’s shoulder and he let out a soft sigh.

“Oh I  _ know _ that. I’m not expecting to scrub you  _ clean _ just… maybe make you smell more like you and less like a muddy field.” His hand reached to gather up some soap and loofah before lifting his head properly to start washing his fiancé. 

It wasn’t rushed - though as far as he was aware it also wasn’t exactly some slow, sensual cleansing either - and he took his time with it over Tony’s neck and shoulders, moving over his chest with a little smile as he worked. He could almost forget they were both naked together. He never  _ quite _ put it out of his mind, but there was a surprising easiness to the interactions that he found himself rather pleased with.

Tony simply closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of having Stephen swab him over and clean him. There were no complaints from him. 

The brunette leaned his head against Stephen’s shoulder as the loofah scrunchie passed over his front, and back… and sides… and a self-depreciating moan seemed to escape the engineer’s mouth, almost stifled as his fiancé brushed over his skin, followed by a huff of air to try and mask the unsequestered noise.

Stephen didn’t even bother to stifle the odd little smile that built on his face as he watched Tony’s reactions. It was hardly the first time he’d elicited a noise or two from the other, but there was something about this moment that felt… well, romance-movie-romantic. An odd thought to recognize, but he recognized it nevertheless. He pulled away a little to work the loofah over Tony’s stomach, though he kept close enough for Tony’s head to remain where it was, tilting his own head to rest against his partner’s as the smile grew.

“I’ll need some space if I’m going to get the rest of you,” the sorcerer mused softly as his hands moved to the small of Tony’s back and venturing to run the loofah lower over the engineer’s (gorgeous, defined, muscular -  _ focus, Stephen! _ ) ass.

“Stephen - Honey-” Tony squirmed a little against the sorcerer with a very nervous laugh. “Remember what we said about  _ your comfort levels _ ? They’re going to get  _ supremely _ violated if you end up pressing further… I’m just warning you now - I gotta say, you’re getting me worked up, and not in the way I know you want to deal with.” The engineer yipped softly in a rather small voice. He was clearly on edge and nervous, and the sorcerer could only assume he was worried he’d spook him.

He took a long moment to contemplate Tony’s warning. To his surprise there was no immediate sense of ‘no’ to the situation - he felt oddly comfortable and in control of things. It wasn’t as though Stephen was unaware of the effect he had on Tony at times and lately he’d even had moments where he’d taken a good deal of  _ pride _ in that effect, and why shouldn’t he? It was nice to feel like Tony  _ wanted _ him that way even if he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the steps that followed…

“Tony, I still have the rest of you to wash.” But then again, maybe he  _ was _ ready. They could always  _ try, _ right? At least a little something. Baby steps. If things went sideways, sure Tony might be a little disappointed but ultimately Stephen trusted that his fiancé would be respectful and they’d work through it.

That was a big part of it, too. Tony made him feel wanted - not just emotionally or mentally, but physically and sexually wanted as well - and as much as he’d struggled to reciprocate that over the last few months it didn’t stop him from  _ wanting _ to. He  _ wanted _ to make his  _ fiancé _ feel good - he  _ wanted _ to show Tony that he was wanted in  _ every _ way.

Stephen’s hands moved gently to Tony’s shoulders, encouraging him to give Stephen a little more space than crowded-against-the-wall, and offering a smile he hoped was confident and reassuring.

The engineer shivered a bit, but he obliged the request as he let Stephen's hands gently manipulate his position.

“You can’t say I didn’t warn you, you smoking hot minx.” The engineer managed to stutter out as he took that moment to size Stephen up properly. Tony’s breathing was hot and laboured, as if the man was doing anything and everything in his power to keep himself boxed up.

“You know… after you cleaned me up I’d offer to get you dirty again...” He laughed softly, there was a heavy hint of joviality to his cadence.

“Let’s take this a little at a time shall we…?” Stephen responded with a quiet chuckle of his own, pressing a brief kiss to Tony’s lips before carefully kneeling - slipping was ideally not an option, and tiled floor was best knelt on  _ slowly _ without bashing his knees.

He couldn’t help but hope that his nerves weren’t clearly apparent to Tony. As much as the man was more than capable of reading him at this point, he would have far rathered avoid giving Tony any reason to doubt him either. Especially since they’d proven that whatever this connection didn't always provide context for the emotions communicated.

Regardless, the loofah was moved to start washing the tops of Tony’s feet and then his calves as Stephen did his best to work up the courage to not just  _ acknowledge _ Tony’s now-face-height dick, but to actually  _ attend to it. _

“Stephen...” He whispered softly and a hand went to the sorcerer’s cheek as if sensing the apprehension within him. The engineer was clearly hard, and there was absolutely no doubt about that but it almost seemed like he was holding off and trying to quell his feelings on the matter.

“I know you’re nervous about this stuff and I know you’ve been trying to push - but would it be easier if you let me go first…” There really was no context to the shared emotion, but what was left to Tony could only be assumed, and he was apparently wondering on the sorcerer’s slight apprehension and insecurities. Stephen didn’t cease his cleaning, at the very least, though he took the time to rest his cheek in Tony’s hand and gave another quiet chuckle. 

“I’m not entirely sure what you mean by ‘go first’ in this context.” His hands paused, one resting on either of Tony’s calves as he leaned back against the wall to look at Tony more easily. 

“I… want to do this. Not just for you, but for me too. You’ve been sweet and accommodating. You haven’t pushed. I don’t feel pressured… I just… I  _ want _ to.” Setting the loofah aside, the sorcerer’s hands gently slid up along Tony’s legs to rest on his thighs, but Stephen didn’t move in any. Tony had questions and he wanted to answer them and make sure he was clear before moving on.

“Of course I’m nervous. I’ve never done this before and I’ve never been a fan of not being the best at what I do, but I have to start somewhere. If now isn’t the time then… now isn’t the time. I can head out and let you deal with this… I just…”

Tony looked down incredulously before he gave a slow nod of his head. “Well if it makes you feel any better I know you are the best at this because you’re the best at this  _ for me _ .” He managed to get out under his broken, husky voice.

The engineer’s fingers played with the silver strands at the side of Stephen’s temple. Twisting the hair around his finger before softly tugging and letting it go. His other hand fully rested over his fiancé’s cheek, thumb brushing over his zygomatic in the most tender expression as he peered down with a loving smile.

“Only if you are certain… There’s no pressure, no obligation here.” He soothed softly. “But in the lightest way I could put this, staring down at you here, in this moment… This is what dreams are made of - my wildest fantasies.”

“I sure  _ hope _ it is! I’m the man you asked to marry you. If I was down here and you felt anything less, I’d have a lot of questions as to why you were marrying me.” Stephen gave his fiancé a grin, feeling the rush of pride and pleasure at Tony’s words despite his embarrassment. “I wouldn’t do this if I felt pressured or in any way like this is something I  _ had _ to do… I’m not doing it out of obligation. I’m doing this because I love you. I’m doing this because  _ I want to. _ ”

 

* * *

 

“What do you say we finish cleaning up, lay down on the bed and enjoy the rest of the night?” Tony purred in a low voice, placing a line of kisses to Stephen’s stomach in the process. He held a hand out to Stephen to help him up.

Taking Tony’s hand to get himself up, he smiled warmly at the other as he curled an arm around the brunette to hold him close, tucking his face against the mogul’s shoulder and neck with a happy sniff. 

“I thought you had something you wanted to show me…?” Stephen hummed softly. “Wasn’t that why you interrupted me while I was showering to begin with? Or was it all just an elaborate hoax in the hopes that I would somehow invite you in?” 

He was teasing. As smart as Tony was he’d seemed legitimately surprised and delighted by Stephen’s offer to have him join his shower, so he doubted he’d been plotting - or expecting - the invitation.

The engineer let the water rinse over his body to help wash away whatever  _ mess _ that lingered. His arms slunk around Stephen’s midsection and he lightly rocked him there in the hot water, nosing softly into his brow.

“Well I know even if I did do something like that, I doubt at this point you’d be upset about it.” He teased softly. 

“But no - I do have something to show you… I think I might actually have used one of the incantations in the book to cast a spell… It seemed a little too good to be true but I have proof, Friday was recording it.” Tony sound a little sheepish, almost as if expecting some sort of criticism in response. “I was just practicing some of the language stuff and decided to try it out on one of the spells in the books.”

Stephen watched him for a long moment as he processed the engineer’s statement before reaching over to turn off the water with a hand, curling his free arm around Tony’s waist and accepting a rather large, fluffy towel from the cloak to wrap around the both of them.

“Sorry… you  _ cast a spell? _ ” He finally asked after a long moment of contemplation. “As in, you  _ used magic _ ?”

He sounded a little bit incredulous to his own ears - though it wasn’t as though he didn’t  _ believe _ Tony, simply that he was  _ surprised. _ The man was talented for sure and there was no doubting the engineer was smarter than Stephen by leaps and bounds. If he’d somehow done it, Stephen had no reason to doubt him. But he was sure as hell curious.

“So… cuddles in bed and watching you perform a spell then…?”

“Well you’ve been keen on cuddles, and I am equally excited, so let’s get ourselves dried off and into some crisp sheets.” The engineer placed one more gentle peck on the top of Stephen’s head before sliding away to grab his own towel. Drying oneself would be hard when it meant sharing a towel between two people.

“I think the spell would require me specifically to be in the tomb, though it did have something to do with the flowers and atmosphere of the room. Even if it was only a one-off, or that I really can only use that one type of spell - it was pretty surprising.” Tony seemed more excited now that the cat was out of the bag, additionally that Stephen didn’t seem to doubt him either.

“It can wait until tomorrow.” He grinned widely.

“Good because I love you and I’m feeling mushy, boneless and utterly enamoured by your existence right now, and while I’d very much like to see this whole you-using-magic thing… if we take a look at the recording tomorrow we can test and see if you’re able to repeat the same thing again after. Whether it’s just the tomb or not is worth finding out, too.” Stephen hummed thoughtfully, stepping out of the shower once he was certain he wasn’t going to drip anywhere, pulling the towel over his head to start drying off his hair.

Tony casting magic… that was a hell of a thought and he honestly wanted to see it. But Tony was right. It could wait until tomorrow. The towel rested over his shoulder as he used one end to continue to dry his hair, intent on keeping the pillows from getting damp, as he turned a warm smile on Tony.

“I love you.”

Tony mirrored the action, drying his own hair off before tugging Stephen over to the bedside with him. A gentle hand took the sorcerer’s and he gave it a small tug, bringing the magus down with him onto the bed so he could pull the sheets over the two of them and place his arms around Stephen from behind.

Nudging his nose in behind his ear he placed a few gentle kisses on his neck with mutual sentiment, nestling into Stephen’s semi-dry hair.

“Love you too, cupcake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be a new [_Outtake Chapter_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465832/chapters/45525199%22) from this! In fact you can expect them for each chapter until the end.
> 
> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish. You can find us on Twitter:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy (Foxglove)](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral (Bravehardt)](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	19. Entwined

Time stopped for no one - not even Stephen Strange these days - and it was so easy to lose track of.

Stephen and Tony had been together for nearly eight months and engaged for about half that time, as absolutely absurd as some of the media who had caught wind of their relationship was concerned.

 _'Whirlwind Romance'_ was the term they seemed to use most often and the first time Stephen had brought up the headline Tony was all grins, sneaking in a bit closer and calling out cheekily for Friday to play _‘You Spin Me Round,'_ leaving the sorcerer to cover his face and laugh softly at the engineer's dramatic antics.

At first, the man pulled a whole lip-sync and dance routine but there was no denying the announcement of "Watch out here I come!" before Tony scooped up his partner into a rather ridiculous little spin.

Stephen, laughing though he was, pushed at Tony's face some and tried to clarify his need to finish whatever task Tony had rudely pulled him away from. Tony didn't relent and eventually, the sorcerer conceded to his desire to dance.

It was far from the last time they'd wind up dancing.

Despite Tony's assumptions that his partner preferred a quiet environment in which to work and study, the pair managed to have reasonably similar tastes in music and the tomb was outfitted with a full sound-system along with connections to Friday, which would all too often lead to such brief and playful moments.

Once or twice Tony even walked into a room expecting Stephen to be studying in silence only to find the man dancing or singing along with something that wasn't as much Tony's tastes, but it was hard to interrupt the man when he was clearly in a good enough mood for something like that. So he found himself leaning in a doorway to observe the man until his presence was noticed. A little Savage Garden or Barenaked Ladies was always a good sign that the man was feeling cheerful even before Tony could get close enough to get that steadily familiar presence of Stephen's emotion.

It had been one of those days yesterday.

While there was no dancing, he'd walked in on the sorcerer laying on his back as he read, singing along with some rock song he'd never heard.

Even if it had been less to his tastes, he decided he couldn't have found it in his heart to dislike the song for how enthusiastically the man announced to the room some heartfelt declarations of love.

Eventually, they'd settled into their more standard fare as Tony joined him in some of his translations and the pair sat side-by-side as they continued their work cataloging things, with Pete occasionally taking their finished books to set gently back where they belonged before toddling back over with a new piece to be cataloged for its guardians.

Today of all days Tony seemed playful, just as some of the days before if not more so. He danced his way into the room with a comb as a microphone before throwing himself down between the sorcerer's legs as he was studying and looking up at him. He crawled his way up to Stephen's chest, deliberately disturbing him from his practices.

"So, blue or red roses?" Tony chirped enthusiastically and quite arbitrarily. Hands planted on either side of Stephen on the couch. He watched Stephen lower his book and look at him confused - _as expected._

Stephen looked adorable, he always did. But that look the sorcerer got on his face when Tony surprised him out of nowhere with one of those ambiguous questions - much like now - always seemed to turn his lips up in a broad smile.

"For what?" Stephen asked after a long moment of contemplating his delighted fiancé, before sighing softly and simply indulging him.

"Red roses. Blue roses are just white roses that are dyed. Red roses are at least naturally that colour… but really, why roses?" Setting a marker into the book and closing it to set aside the sorcerer's arms wrapped loosely around Tony's waist to pull him in closer.

Tony made a point of being as loud as he could when he let out a heavy audible sigh at Stephen's explanation at coloured roses. The engineer's eyes turned up and he rolled them. It was always one of those sweetly annoying but endearing traits of Stephen's - having to over-explain things all matter-of-fact like.

"Because I'm a hopeless romantic - pick a damn colour, Stephen." The excuse was just tossed out there to try and silence the doctor from getting all _scientific_ on him about the process of dyed flowers.

His arms were on either side of Stephen as he inched up his chest like a lazy slug. Holding onto his hips, he added a little emphasis by prodding the tips of his fingers into his side.

"I _did_ but you were so busy being dramatic you seemed to have mistaken my choice for something else…?" Stephen wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes a little at the man. "I said red roses, and I explained _why_ red roses rather than blue. I'm not sure what this is for, but from a personal perspective I'd prefer something that's in a natural state of being, not one that's been altered for aesthetics."

"I'm my defence I thought you were just rambling on about how wrong colouring roses was." Tony stopped his assault and propped his face up on Stephen's chest, looking up at him mock-innocently from his spot.

He deliberately dodged Stephen's enquiry about the 'why'.

"What about… favourite flower - probably should have led with that one. _My bad._ " He added pretty quickly. By the look on Stephen's face, he let his fingers go slack and just opted to keep them wound around his waist.

"Thank you for assuming I was just being a know-it-all, that was _very_ sweet of you." Stephen sighed heavily, shaking his head and folding his arms around Tony tighter.

"It depends on what the purpose is. I enjoy the smell of freesia and lavender,  I think astrantia and mimosas are very interesting flowers, bleeding hearts are lovely, and I have a general fondness for lotuses and wisteria… honestly, if you want a concise answer here I need to know why I'm answering."

"Well then I'd be spoiling it I guess, but I was just thinking about, you know - when we actually _tie the knot_... Talking about what you'd like to see when we do the actual ceremony. Flowers are a must." Tony inched himself up along Stephen's chest once again so he could bump his nose against the sorcerer's and simply hold it there with a wide grin.

"It's hardly spoiling anything to talk to your fiancé about flowers for our wedding." Stephen's expression softened some as he rested his forehead against Tony's and smiled a little. "I feel like I should be more surprised that that's why you came in here being a nuisance."

Giving a thoughtful hum, utterly radiating his affection at the topic of conversation, the sorcerer looked thoughtfully at the other man as he pondered the inquiry.

"We should probably avoid flowers like lilies, lavender, wisteria and freesia - anything too scented might be problematic for guests with scent allergies. But with you talking about red roses or blue I'm assuming that you're leaning into that for a colour scheme, and if that's the case then that might be worth discussing. French marigolds remind me of your colours overall but lack the blue - that wouldn't mean we couldn't pair them with something with a nice blue colour. Cornflower, maybe?"

Tony rumbled a low guttural noise of affection as Stephen pressed into his forehead.

"Honey you're going to have to get used to me being an absolute pain in the ass, it's part of the package deal and I'm afraid it's too late, the warranty is expired so you're stuck with me." He jested lightly, procuring Stephen's hand and ghosting his lips over the sorcerer's knuckles.

Tony was acting akin to an oversized cat looking for attention.

"Those colours would work for me but I was thinking… blue roses, or forget-me-nots - irony intended. Paired with some of those cornflowers." The engineer's smile turned dopey with that last suggestion, though slightly sad at that moment of its implications. "That, or trilliums were always a personal favourite of mine…"

"We're not married _yet_ so you just watch yourself," the sorcerer tested, though there was a playfulness to it while the hand Tony had been kissing brushed over the engineer's cheek gently.

"What kind of ceremony are you even thinking of…? Are there traditions that run in your family you'd like to incorporate? Can we avoid a church? I'd really prefer if we avoided a church, personally, but if there's no getting around it I'll do what I must."

"Huh maybe I can ask the God of Thunder to keep the storm clouds away and we can get married outside." Tony joked softly, chasing the hand that went to his face. "It would be pretty fitting, all things considered.

"We can keep the wedding an intimate thing, close friends and family, but I still want an after-party." With Stephen's hand absent he went into peck the magus on the corner of his mouth.

"I'd be absolutely amicable to an outdoor wedding, especially if Thor would be so kind as to mind the weather." Stephen chuckled some at that and rested his head against Tony's shoulder with a smile.

"An after-party is fine as long as I'm not stuck at a celebration of my own wedding feeling like I'm an outsider. Close friends - I'm assuming we're talking about the Avengers, Pepper, Wong and Christine? I don't personally have a family to invite otherwise…" As he said that, he seemed to sink a little in his spot, curling his arms around Tony. "Just you. You're my family."

"I think I can say the same for you, and then by extension the Avengers and of course, Levi - I'm sure we will make it work. _I'll_ make it work." Tony grinned.

"Man, weddings are always such a big thing to plan, if only there was an _easier way_ for all this. Like, you know - just be married now already." Tony was obviously teasing about things being hard but for some reason the title and ceremony were a very necessary self-indulgent show for him in terms of their relationship.

He was thoughtful, smiling almost looking as if his head was in a cloud.

"We could elope. Head to Vegas. Have an Elvis impersonator officiate our wedding…" Stephen chuckled a bit. "I wonder how they'd react to a sentient cloak as a witness…" He added, and in a moment the cloak in question dropped a book just beside them, making a loud noise as it did so and fluttering grandly to draw their attention.

"Tony's decided we're talking wedding rather than organizing right now, Levi…" The sorcerer smiled warmly at the cloak, but it didn't stop Levi from nudging the book towards them a bit more insistently.

Tony leaned a little towards the book and reached for it with one hand, lazily slapping his palm onto it and dragging it into reach.

"We could, and I'd be down for that if you seriously meant it honey-bear." The grin on Tony's face couldn't be contained. He flipped open the book and started looking through it as if he'd have a clue to begin with on how to understand it. _He didn't._

"Well, whatever it is I think Levi wants us to take a look, would you do the honours?"

"I think that we can both agree that having someone like Gene Simmons, Axl Rose or Tommy Lee would be more suiting than Elvis to us in general, but I'm not opposed to eloping and having a ridiculous and short ceremony followed by a less small party." Stephen shrugged, before gathering up the book with a sigh.

"Alright, let's see what we have here…" he began, before trailing off entirely and glancing at Levi again with a look of surprise. "... really?"

It absolutely warmed Tony's heart to hear that. As much as the engineer loved the noise and pizzazz or a show, the peacocking the lights the fireworks.

They all felt oddly inappropriate for this.

"I'm fine with a quiet, intimate ceremony as much as you are. This is about us, and no one else - and I don't want to let any of the shine distract us from what this is really truly about." The brunette trailed off with a soft cadence, dipping in to steal another kiss as he lowered the book momentarily with a hand.

"It's about us in the end." He mumbled softly.

"Wedding ceremony and after-party or no wedding ceremony and after-party it will _always_ be about us after, my love. Big or small, massive ceremony or just popping by city hall to sign some papers." Stephen smiled warmly, nudging at Tony's cheek lightly with his nose.

"The wedding and ceremony are things people always make such a fuss out of for the sake of an industry, but… it's just us after everything's said and done, and I'll love you whether we have a traditional church wedding or disappear to the moon for a _very_ private ceremony. None of those things will change how much I love you."

Lifting the book to tap it against Tony's chest lightly, the sorcerer's smile grew. "But it seems to me that Levi has a less legal and more magical notion of how to deal with this little wedding ceremony situation in mind."

The engineer tilted his head and quirked his brow.

"Other ideas? What do you mean?" It was almost out of habit that Tony wanted to reach out and tip the top of the book in his direction so he could peer over the pages he clearly _couldn't understand._

"What are you on about?" His head tilted to the other side inquisitively.

"I still haven't shown you the altar I found in here, have I?" The sorcerer answered rather than clarifying directly. "Though by the looks of things we'll need a couple of materials first. The book seems to have an outline of how, _once upon a time,_ we did our dedications in the past…"

Tony stared apprehensively at Stephen as he went over the explanation and quirked a brow.

"What kind of materials?" The engineer seemed very interested in this right now just following the subject. "Wouldn't it be fun if we could host a druid-style wedding or at least re-enact it somehow…" Tony was excited, he turned a smile to Levi who had hovered in close as Stephen had announced his findings.

"A feather - possibly the one from the original book - a strand of hair from each of us, and a ball of twine. Unfortunately, if we were to try and do this ritual as some sort of official wedding ceremony… we'd lack the altar unless you want to work on trying to recreate it with me. If it's even possible…" Stephen hummed thoughtfully as he flipped through a couple of pages. "We'll also need candles - I have the dreamer's candles at the Sanctum it wouldn't be much trouble to grab ten of those…"

"Doesn't the tomb have something like that you were mentioning? And I held onto the feather too!" Tony smiled, the anticipation clear in his voice. "Or maybe I'm remembering it wrong… either way, I'm definitely interested in trying this out… it's pretty exciting"

"Of course it does. But to make the ceremony _legally_ binding in some manner would mean having to bring other people in here to the altar. The altar is built into the stonework of this place, it's not something we could just… pick up and move. I was of the impression we were keeping this place between us? … and Wong, because sometimes we need contact with the outside world…"

His free hand brushed at Tony's beard gently as he closed the book over and looked to the engineer with that same warm, loving smile - a smile for Tony and Tony alone. "But that doesn't mean we couldn't do this on our own… some sort of personal dedication to one another, if you'd like?"

"Who cares if the ceremony itself isn't legally binding - that's not the point of all of this. We could always march down to city hall and get some forms signed after the fact." Tony closed his eyes and relished in the movement of Stephen's jittering hand ghosting over his cheek. The pads of his skin brushing up and snagging on his peppery stubble.

"I would very much like to do this… on our own, just the two of us - _three of us._ " His voice was low and hopeful and he radiated just as much affection and love as the sorcerer seemed to beam down on him with.

Levi fluttered down over Tony's shoulders as it always did to join the two, spreading out over his back and Stephen's bottom half.

"I just wanted to make sure I was clear." Stephen chuckled softly. "If you want to do this, I'll take some time to figure out what this all is and what kind of effects it has, and we'll need to gather up the supplies to do it…"

The doctor was quiet for a few moments as he flipped through the pages again to make sure he had the right supplies in mind, his other arm still draped around Tony's waist as his eyes flicked over the words on the page. "Are you sure you're going to be okay with something like this being quiet? I do know how much you love a spectacle…"

"Trust me, I'll get all the time in the limelight afterwards to tote you around, but this? This is us and I don't want anyone or anything to take away from the experience." He soothed, inching further up to hook his arms around Stephen's neck. "I'll help you look for whatever you need, and I know Levi has no shortage of feathers for us."

Almost as if it was a passive hint the cloak expanded into a pair of wings around them, covering them in a flurry of red feathers. Tony chuckled softly. "I'd honestly say this is spectacle enough, wouldn't you?"

"Just us then." Stephen agreed quietly, closing the book over and burying his face in Tony's shoulder with a soft sigh, moving the other arm to join the first around Tony's waist. "Do you wanna gather some twine while I get the candles then? If Levi's fine with giving up a feather to this operation then I just need a strand of each of our hair and to show the altar off to you to make everything happen…"

The feathers shuddered around them for a moment before the cloak seemed to choose one of its own to present, tickling at Stephen's nose with it to leave the sorcerer withdrawing from his spot over his shoulder. "That tickles! Quit that!" He laughed softly.

"Yeah, where do you keep that lying around? Or do you need me to go run off to a store somewhere?"

Tony thought it appropriate to join in the mild torture once Stephen had recoiled. He went and dug his fingers into Stephen's sides once more at the same time.

It was a flurry of red and moving body parts as Stephen scrambled and flinched sensitively at the overly playful gestures with Tony taking a sadistic pleasure in seeing him squirm. Now that the cloak had a partner in crime it only urged onwards, brushing feathers up against Stephen's neck and side and batting him playfully over the nose with feather-light buffets.

"Qu-quit it!" Stephen bit out through peals of laughter, at first batting at them before trying to wriggle away from beneath Tony fruitlessly. "I-I'm warning you! You're only… getting one warning!"

A quiet noise chimed beside them as Pete made its way over, staring as the trio goofed around before gathering up the book to hold lest it get knocked in all the kerfuffle. It simply waited with the book in its stubby little arms while Stephen writhed uselessly, pinned in place by his lover and the cloak.

"Hah! Like you can do anything from your position." Tony relentlessly continued his assault on Stephen's sides. He'd ridden the sorcerer's shirt up by that point and was going after his bare flesh with the tips of his fingers. "I've got the upper hand here doc, so shouldn't you be appealing to my humanity for me to stop rather than trying to threaten me?"

After all, Tony was technically pinning him down with his weight, with the cloak over top of the both of them.  _How could he lose?_

Magic sprung to life at that, coiling around the sorcerer's assailants without hesitation. The cloak was quickly a cloak again, deftly wriggling itself free of the vines' grasp and creating space between itself and Stephen, but Tony was hardly so lucky.

On the one hand he wasn't being suspended from the air, instead carefully pulled away and to the ground to leave Stephen gasping for air and looming over him with his face scrunched up in mock-annoyance.

"... appealing… to your humanity…?" He inquired breathlessly as he left his seat to rest a knee on either side of Tony's hips, watching him rather carefully. "Can't do anything…? _Me?_ I think… you've somehow forgotten _who I am_ Tony Stark…"

Deep emerald roots that crept through the ground grappled the engineer away and had immobilized him on the spot. Despite the compromising position, the brunette knew there was nothing to fret about and flashed a half-grin, though still a little anxious at having his win _snatched_ away from him.

Tony looked to either side of him and tried to wriggle free - unfortunately, there was no give.

He couldn't move.

"Okay well you are using magic to take advantage of me and that simply _isn't fair._ " Of course he'd try to argue his way out of this, it was pretty much the only tool he had right now.

"Oh, I'm not taking advantage of you with magic, _quite yet_... But it's a tempting thought isn't it?" Stephen teased softly, running a finger down along Tony's chest with a devilish little grin in response.

"With you… here… helpless… hmmm, what do you think, Levi?" He called over his shoulder to the cloak without turning his focus away from the man pinned quite entirely in place.

"Or maybe I should just _leave you here_ to think about _what you've done._ "

Tony shuddered at the light contact on his chest. In contrast to the grasp of vines wrapped around his limbs, holding him _helplessly_ in place - it felt nice… arousing even.

"You see, I don't think this is going to quite teach me the lesson I think you'd hoped for." Came the equally cocky response. "All this means is I'm going to try and get you back at some point… Plus, knowing me - _when do I ever learn?_ " Tony grinned right back at Stephen, an intensity between the two reflected gazes.

"If you ended up just leaving me here, my mind would wander many other places than self-repentant reflections." He let out a husky chuckle as a vine crept up around his throat.

"Maybe you _should_ do more of that learning and repenting. Have you considered that? You know, self-improvement and the like? Or you might just wind up stuck in this situation a lot more often than you'd care for. Though, I can't say I'm really complaining at the moment." Stephen smirked as he leaned to gently press a kiss to Tony's jaw. "I rather like you all tied up. What a thought."

Tony tilted his head and narrowed his eyes with a wide Cheshire smile plastered on his face. He let out a legitimate, yet provocative groan right in Stephen's ear as his lips made contact with his cheek.

Those silky, gravelly words played on his ear-drums like a drug and he let a shiver crawl down his spine. The engineer pulled against his restraints for show just as something crawled down from his chest, moving underneath his clothing as it snaked discreetly between them and started to crawl up the sorcerer's pant leg.

"I'm having so much fun Stephen... why don't you sit down and join me?" From Tony's glasses, he watched through the heat-vision as the nanites positioned themselves with his teasing.

Stephen sat up rather quickly, shifting uncomfortably at a sensation he clearly couldn't identify. He looked himself over, before giving Tony a rather surprised look.

"Tony… what did you do…?" The playful purr that had been in his tone before seemed to have fled as the sorcerer's hands shifted towards his waist and leg as he tried to sort out what was happening.

"Oh not much at all hun-bun." The engineer watched on in amusement as Stephen fretted over the new sensations of Tony's nanobots creeping over his body. "I just figured I'd show you the same courtesy, you know… _Share the love and all._ "

The small pieces formed red and gold cuffs around Stephen's wrists, then there was a soft hum as they activated. Just like a magnet, Stephen's wrists were drawn together behind him as a similar-looking set materialized and locked around the sorcerer's ankles. Likewise, rooting him to the floor as effectively as the live vines had to Tony.

The entire way through the process, Tony holding that vibrant and smug look on his face. "And that's just the start."

"Sometimes I hate you." The sorcerer grumbled from the floor, staring up at the garden's odd ceiling with a look that was somewhere between annoyed and amused. "I love you and appreciate your cleverness and ingenuity in all of this. _But I hate you_."

"Love you, too, cupcake!"

Giving a little huff, Stephen rolled his head to look over at Tony tugging at his wrists and ankles and finding no real give in them. "So what's your big plan now? Do you think I'm just going to _let you go?_ "

Tony continued to look over at him, amusement laden on his face. He was aware that in any way, he could break free of the vines either through force or manipulation. He had an out but simply chose not to use it.

He was pretty _comfortable_ after all.

"Well, something's gotta give…" There was an excess stream of nano parts that started to crawl over Stephen's chest, slowly heading down in the direction of his hips. Tony, watching all of it through the augmented readout in his glasses.

" _Tony..._ " Stephen's tone was somewhere between warning and worry as the nanobots moved outside of his line of sight. "Two can play at that game you know."

As though to emphasize his point the vines coiled a little more tightly in place as grey eyes remained firmly fixed on Tony, vines slowly creeping into the engineer's clothing. "If you don't think I'll turn this into a full-on tentacle moment, you're underestimating me."

Tony groaned softly, a strained smile persisting on his face as he felt those vines molesting his figure, creeping into the folds of his shirt and contouring his form.

"Oh, we can turn this into a big-dick competition, _let's go there._ " The nanobots spread to Stephen's fingers, completely enveloping his hands and steadying them in place. As his hands became restricted the vines ceased their movements and Stephen's expression read quite clearly of his understanding of the situation he was in.

More nanobots moved down Stephen's waist beneath his clothing like liquid metal and began to form around his groin, cool metal enveloping the front part of him in a malleable casing. It then began to slowly crawl up his chest and over the insides of his thighs.

"Tony…?" There was a small hint of uncertainty in the sorcerer's tone as he tried to wiggle in place with very limited success. "... okay. I… yeah. You've got me." He conceded quietly, giving Tony a small smile despite not anticipating a loss in this game.

"I can't get rid of those vines without my hands-free, though… I can only assume you know that."

"I know hun, I know." Tony chuckled under his breath and let the nanobots melt away from Stephen's fingers so he could use them again.

In all honesty, he would have rather stayed bound and explored the possibilities of what Stephen potentially had in store for him. But right now? This was a battle of egos, and Tony wasn't one to back down from this kind of thing.

"You let me go love, and then I'll let you… That is if you don't want to see _how good_ I can make you feel _in that suit of mine._ " The parts continued to crawl over Stephen's body, underneath his clothes until it had fully formed over the sorcerer's chest in a sort of augmented skin-tight metal suit.

It looked much like Tony's Iron Man suit with the power source in the center but a lot less armoured.

"Just so we’re clear… this is the only time in my life I ever intend to let you go." Stephen remarked with a soft huff as gently unwound the vines that had been holding Tony in place, giving the ceiling a long look as he presumably considered Tony's proposition. After the vines had retreated entirely, Stephen looked to Tony again.

"... what did you have in mind?"

"Well - perhaps taking things a step further." He responded softly, hand habitually going to his own neck to rub it where the vine had previously been.

He moved over to Stephen just as soon with a smile, grabbing the lip of Stephen's shirt and peeling it back to reveal his metal-glazed stomach. The nanobots had closely conformed to Stephen's chest as latex would, felt just as smooth and likewise cool to touch.

Tony ran a hand over his chest, the material dimpling softly as if he was actually touching Stephen's skin. "Fits like a glove… plus, you look good in my colours." He commented a little impishly, leaning up to return a gentle peck to Stephen's lips.

His hand trailed up over the sorcerer's chest. "I wouldn't mind putting on a show for you dear." He slid Stephen's shirt up to his collarbone and placed a kiss there on the expanded metal. "Take things slow - we've showered together, so it wouldn't be anything new." Tony continued to look him over in the suit - he looked _exquisite_.

Stephen's breathing came heavily as the engineer continued, though any attempts the man-made at freeing himself were ultimately rendered moot by the suit being entirely under Tony's control.

"I'd intended to make a show out of you myself - this wasn't exactly what I had in mind with it all," Stephen responded, watching Tony curiously despite his words. "Admittedly in part because I didn't quite expect you to dress me up in this kind of suit probably ever, never mind _today_ or for purposes that I'm _expecting_ lean towards the lewd…" He added, before chuckling quietly. "Of course, I suppose I _should have_ given some of the things you've said about your suits and their uses in the past some consideration."

Relaxing back in his spot the sorcerer continued to watch Tony with fixed interest, a smile spreading across his features as he did. "So what kind of show are we talking about…?"

Tony continued to run his fingers over the metal, watching as it dimpled and reflected like satin under his touch.

"Well, I figured I'd show you just exactly _how_ I used these suits as I suggested. Yes, I've played with these suits like they are toys, but I've never had anyone _in_ the suits while I’ve played with them..." Tony leaned in and pressed his lips to a spot on Stephen's neck, having to partially slip his head under the already bunched up shirt on Stephen. "A hot rod is a _good ride_ , but when there's company it makes it all the better, especially the company of my absolutely charming and gorgeous to-be husband." The engineer's voice was heavy and hot against Stephen's neck.

"You think you could muster up enough magic to get rid of these clothes?" He huffed just above a whisper. "I'll make it worth your time, love." An arm snuck around Stephen's neck and Tony dragged himself over and onto the sorcerer's lap.

This was about as turned on as Tony would have ever been without any actual lascivious contact, and he was resonating a heat with the intensity of a burning sun.

"You can't just talk about nice cars and refer to me as your husband and expect that I'm going to deny you anything in the world…" Stephen sighed a little dramatically and offered Tony a sly smile that belied the love and pride the man was radiating in waves. "How am I supposed to argue with you?"

Stephen arched his back a smidgen to give his hands a little more room before removing the clothes that covered him, leaving the red and gold sheen of Tony's suit as the only thing he wore - and seemingly rather proudly. "... you're on your own with your clothes, though just so we're clear... I rather enjoy the idea of watching you undress."

"Well you're not supposed to argue, just kind of let me _have my way._ " He teased softly.

 

* * *

 

The brunette leaned in against Stephen's clothed chest, hands still curled into the cloak. He chased the sorcerer's warmth, pressing his forehead into the magus' shoulder.

"So, we came here to discover what that ritual was…?" Tony took a deep inhale, breathing in Stephen's scent before letting the breath go softly.

"I just came here to take inventory of what we had available. You're the one who came asking about flowers and wedding things. We still need to gather materials for the ritual to get that to work, so… you were going to deal with the twine…?" Stephen reminded him with a warm smile, curling his arms around Tony and resting his chin on the other's forehead.

"As much as I want to pull you back through that portal and yank you into a shower, you think you could give me a hand with clean-up love?" Tony gathered his clothes with one hand and pulled them into his lap, the other hand was cinched in the cloak to keep it on his shoulders (even though it was completely unnecessary).

Levi shook his hand off in part, squeezing itself into Tony's body to give him the desired modesty.

" _It's not my fault you're such a distraction_ with your stupid good looks and your wonderful voice…" Tony flashed Stephen a lopsided grin as he got to his feet and tilted his head to the side with a happy, dreamy look.

"Flattery will get you everywhere…" The sorcerer sighed softly as he looked at Tony, lifting a hand to brush at his hair again with a warm, satiated smile. "I'm afraid I can't clean _you_ up as easily as a piece of fabric though, my love. I'm sure we could both stand to have a good shower, maybe dress up nice before our private little wedding ritual? That's a thing people do, isn't it?" Stephen paused for a moment. "Though you look nice in literally anything, so I'm sure that won't be much of a challenge for you."

"Well, we could always… use the suits we wore on our _first date._ " Tony's voice became shy at the mention of it. The suits held wonderful memories to him, and he would jump at the opportunity to have Stephen in that lovely dress-wear again if it meant this time he actually got to _touch him_ in it. "I couldn't tell you how hard it was for me to hold back from literally jumping you...

"Kind of a little homage to where things all started? Unless there is some specific ceremonial garb lying around that we're intended to wear?" Tony slipped his smaller hand into Stephen's and began to tug him without a word about it in the direction of the portal.

"What a good idea. Do you think you can help me button things up… or is that going to be too _distracting_ for you…?" Stephen teased as he followed the man and his cloak back through the portal into the Sanctum. "I assume that's going to mean you'll need a portal back to your apartment to gather that at least?"

"I think keeping my hands _off of you_ will be the hardest part, you can't really blame me if you find them everywhere _but_ doing up the buttons." Tony turned and nodded.

"If it wouldn't be too much to ask, I'll grab my suit, grab a shower… and you're coming with me - no and, ifs or buts on that mister." Tony smoothed a hand down Stephen's front.

"Hmmm I _do_ enjoy your hands on me anyway and I'd say there are definitely two butts in this matter," Stephen chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Why don't you grab the suit and come join me in the shower then, hm? And grab some twine? You've got twine in your workshop or something I hope…?"

"Stephen, don't get me riled up again before a shower - I can still get handsy even if my body doesn't have the stamina to put out again so soon." The engineer gave Stephen a mock warning look, all in good fun.

"But that sounds like a plan - and yes, I'll be quick." He pecked Stephen on the lips quickly and darted off through the portal that had just been opened into the compound.

"Be back soon, cupcake."

 

* * *

 

Stephen was mostly prepared. He'd exited the shower a little before Tony, having started earlier than the engineer, and had the feather, twine and candles all collected up and ready to go. He'd managed to fix his hair up with more careful consideration than he had for their ‘first date' and while the suit was _not_ the tuxedo one might wear to a wedding Stephen had clearly put more care into his appearance this time around. All that was left were the buttons and tie.

The cloak had draped itself over his shoulders, fidgeting in its excitement as it held all of the materials for the ritual sans their strands of hair and the book itself.

Tony stepped through the portal, all dressed up as he had been the first time they'd gone out.

Same suit, same hairdo, same shoes - a true homage to their first official outing.

He waltzed over to Stephen and his heart melted as he saw the absolute fulcrum of his existence standing there looking like a million dollars, waiting for _him._

"I don't think you could look more perfect, you're so sharp I have to worry about cutting myself on you." He smiled warmly, immediately going to Stephen's shirt to start helping him out with the buttons, a strong semblance of deja-vu hitting him at that moment.

"Well it's not quite a wedding-ready a tuxedo," Stephen hummed softly at that, tucking his hands behind his back and out of the way as he smiled. "But then this is only sort of a wedding anyway. So I suppose we'll both have to wait on _that_ level of perfection, won't we? This… is nostalgic though. It's special and it's for _us_ so we don't really need perfection anyway."

"Well I don't know about me, but you were already perfect to begin with." The engineer did up the final button and reached up to grab his tie, using it to pull Stephen in for a quick kiss before parting as his hands worked to tie the neckpiece.

"I only have good memories about this, going to get the suit made, wearing it… on both occasions." He reminisced, finishing off the final loop before tightening the embroidered fabric around Stephen's neck. He folded the sorcerer's collar over and he could only stare at him, not sure if he could ever truly get enough of seeing Stephen like this - dressed to the nines.

"I'm only perfect now because I have my other half." Stephen bowed his head slightly to steal a kiss of his own, brushing his thumb over Tony's jaw gently before straightening again and offering Tony an arm. "So… shall we go have some kind of druidic magic ritual marriage, so that we can make some _more_ fun memories with these fancy duds?"

Tony's heart was hammering in his chest, every nuance of Stephen's affection adding to his heightened state. Stephen’s attention to detail, the small kisses here and there, the gentle smile, the loving words - yes, these were all things lovers would say to one another but it didn't ever dampen the impact the words had on the engineer.

Tony took Stephen's arm, curling his own through the offered appendage before raising the flat of his other hand atop Stephen's forearm.

"I don't think I can handle another damn second not being married to you - let's do this."

The sorcerer led them through the portal and brought the engineer towards the altar for the first time before kissing Tony's hand gently and letting him go to start setting things out. The cloak was quick enough to go gather the book for him and Stephen seemed perfectly pleased as he worked.

"I just realized that the perks of a public wedding rather than a quick signing of certificates is getting to see you in a tux." Stephen hummed thoughtfully, before extending a hand to Tony. "Hair please?"

"You'll get your tux soon enough lover-boy." Tony purred playfully. He reached up and plucked out a strand of hair, handing it to Stephen.

The brunette watched the two of them move around in synchronicity and he couldn't help but wonder if there was something he could do to help expedite the process.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"You'll get your chance to help _soon enough._ " The sorcerer teased in return, plucking one of his own hairs from his head and settling both in the center of the altar before handing Tony twine and proceeding on lighting the candles that had been laid out in a ring around the outer edge of the altar.

"While I do the incantation, you'll be dealing with the twine," Stephen explained quietly. He lit the last candle and allowed the cloak to set the book aside before the sorcerer carefully held an end of the twine and reached to clasp Tony's left hand in his right with the twine laying between their hands.

"You don't want to knot it, but wrap it somewhat tightly, around each part of our hands. When I stop the incantation, you'll need to tie off the end." Tony nodded with the instructions, his right hand reaching over to ready the twine in position.

"Alright, what's next?" He asked with a rather giddy voice, heart skipping in anticipation for what was about to happen next.

This was no formal wedding, but Tony's heart was beating rapidly as if it was. Like the entire media network was there watching them, like the spotlight was currently on them.

Thankfully though, it wasn't.

It was just them, and Levi. The only people in the room that really mattered right now.

"Next I'm going to start the incantation." Stephen leaned over to press a gentle kiss to Tony's forehead before he closed his eyes and began to speak what sounded mostly like gibberish as far as Tony was concerned - but that was fine. Gibberish? Definitely an incantation.

As Stephen spoke his left hand seemed to create brief shapes, though Tony couldn't tell whether that was by instinct or necessity, and didn't linger on it too long. His hand instead began to busy itself in wrapping the twine around their connected hands.

First a length around their hands a couple of times, then around their thumbs and across the backs of their hands again. He looped a strand over their wrists and watched the trembling of Stephen's hand seem to become more steady, before crossing it over and atop their hands again to weave through each of their fingers. He carefully bound each digit together as though it would somehow steady Stephen's shakes - and it seemed to do so.

Those long fingers were still more than easily capable of curling their tips over the top of his shorter fingers, but he wove their fingers together again in a different direction, before doing little loops around their fingers and continuing to create patterns across their hands as he tied.

The lighting around them kept changing as each of the candles seemed to change colour before going out like some kind of countdown, and when Stephen's voice stopped the incantation, the last candle flickered, changing colour but remaining lit. Tony's eyes raised to look at Stephen, finding the sorcerer peering back at him, smiling gently and giving a little nod.

With that, Tony tied the knot and the last candle went out.

First, there was nothing, just quiet.

Nothing else but them at that moment, _together._

Tony was about to open his mouth and say something when he was immediately overtaken by a flashback - or series of flashbacks.

Histories and circumstances, recollections of instances he had never seen before. People, places and happenings he'd never experienced.

_Stephen's memories._

He saw Dormammu, he saw Stephen's life as a doctor and Christine, he saw the loss of his family - of Donna - and the visions only increased, overwhelmingly feeding into his mind until they dated as far back as their past lives. At that very moment, Tony observed two lifetimes of experience in one second.

Logic would dictate that this was enough to send a man into a fit of insanity - but it all happened so elegantly, so fluidly that the knowledge and gains from those memories flooded him in a warmth that felt completely natural.

He was there for the happiness, the sadness, the turmoil, even relived those millions of futures Stephen had seen - harnessing and absorbing lifetimes upon lifetimes of experience and information, emotion and everything that came with it.

His fingers twitched and curled into Stephen's as he sat there bewildered, speechless - it was far from over.

After the visions, memories, flashbacks, happenstances of life came the feelings and the knowledge, shared - linked between the two. It was as if a door to all of the world's answers had been opened and welcomed him inside to peruse it's every instance of comprehension, a mental library of sorts.

He could see Stephen's outlook on magic, understand complex mantras - and all the years Stephen spent at Kamar-Taj, from this he had seen every day, every spell, every language - there was nothing he wasn't completely and utterly aware of to do with his husband.

He was in that moment so fully realized of Stephen's entirety that he sat there with an awestruck gaze, speechless.

It was hardly as though he _needed_ to speak, though. Underlying the initial current of knowledge, thought, memory and feelings was another layer: a more present presence. Awe that without speaking he knew belonged to Stephen. A love that burned brighter and hotter than he could have hoped. A sense of deep satisfaction as any lingering fears the sorcerer had abated entirely.

He didn't just see Stephen, _Stephen saw him_ in every way, in every moment, in every triumph and every mistake - and he expressed nothing but acceptance, pride and love. It was hard to say if he'd been judged at all.

Stephen let out a breath that he'd been holding, his free hand raising for a moment and reaching to touch at the engineer's cheek and - oh what a sensation that was.

The sorcerer looked momentarily surprised and that surprise coursed through Tony in echo, as Stephen's left hand gently felt over Tony's face as though he'd never experienced the sensation before.

The doctor closed his eyes and in a heartbeat leaned in to kiss his partner and the feedback loop was nearly overwhelming.

Tony felt Stephen's lips on his own, and the ghost of his own lips on his as well as though somehow there were two pairs of lips settled against his, hungry, happy, and utterly in love.

A sense of belonging, of knowing and to be so sure of one's purpose in existence could have been best used to describe how absolutely sure Tony felt about himself and Stephen at that moment.

He saw Stephen in both a new and old light - knowledge of the man's past trials and tribulations and it only bolstered the desire and excitement to spend every waking moment of his life with him. An insurmountable admiration for a man he already saw as the world to him - words couldn't even articulate the feelings and there was no palpable palisade to those emotions but an endlessly expansive feed of love for the man his hands were connected with.

Tony's fingers twitched again, each thought he felt, Stephen felt and vice versa. If he'd thought that there was some semblance of their emotional entanglement before, it was definitely there now, dialled up to eleven.

Their thoughts and feelings were now their own, no one person's. A sense of connection between the two of them that words, while spoken to only compliment one another - needn't be necessary.

They already knew what the other was thinking, any addition to that would be to humour habits of their previous disassociation with one another. Though, that didn't stop either from enjoying the sound of the other's voice, the touch of the other's physical presence and the all-around aura of absolute love that resonated.

Love, at this point, was simply a word. It housed the meaning to a feeling within limits that could currently only describe a fraction of what the two men were experiencing at this very moment.

"Mmm… this is new and delightful, and unexpected…" Friends, lovers, husbands… _soulmates_ flitted through Stephen's mind as he came to a realization, gesturing Levi over with his free hand to take the book from the cloak, setting it on the altar and flipping through it again.

It took a little effort, but he was able to finagle their arms enough to envelop Tony in a one-armed hug with their bound hands before finding the right page again and smiling gently. " _Soulmates,_ Tony… this spell wasn't just to marry us, it was to marry our souls - the déjà vu we experienced, the attachment… we could allow the book to be found again. We could allow our future selves this same connection…"

"You know I always thought that was a thing of fairy-tales… nonsense for the hopelessly romantic." Tony chided softly. "But now that there's something to back up those claims I have to say I've been proven wrong on that front." He trailed off.

"We were made to find one another… whether in this life… or the next, but with this ritual - No matter what happens we will be able to pass on the knowledge of this lifetime and meet up in the next." The engineer was overwhelmed at that point, it was hard to conceive what was actually going on.

He was married to the love of his life, happier than he could ever possibly be in this lifetime, living a perfect existence as he always wished for. Their legacy, in a sense, would literally never die out, considering how entangled their lives were on much more than just a physical level.

No matter what universe or timeline, they were always bound to find one another.

"But _you_ are a hopeless romantic… and you were so _invested_ in our fairy-tale… maybe it was your belief that made it happen." Stephen teased gently, pressing a kiss to Tony's forehead and cheek. "It's going to take some time to get used to that feeling… No one's kissed me on the forehead since I was about ten."

"But to do that we both needed to be on board - eventually you were just as invested, it wasn't all me there." The engineer smiled.

After a long moment, his free hand settled on the knot of the twine, but there was no secret between them that Stephen didn't _want_ to undo the knot. There was something about being tied together that still felt important to him, and the sorcerer hesitated, looking to Tony in question.

"I can't open a portal with our hands tied together like this. There's a limitation in mobility…" But Stephen's mind was on Antonio's former ability to open the portal between the home tree and this same location… and curiosity about whether Tony could do the same between here and the Sanctum sparked in his mind.

Tony was well aware of what he needed to do. He knew how to do it, he'd seen Stephen's movements in real life and the access to the knowledge in his head.

"Well, I've never done this before - I guess I'll do the movements with my arm then?" It would be difficult getting used to passing questions and thoughts between them without actually vocalizing it but then there were a lot of things they would have to get used to in general about one another if this was their life now.

"Ready when you are." Though, rather than uncertainty, Tony held an air of confidence, a knowledge that he could do what was required though never having tried opening a portal in his life.

Stephen's left hand raised into a familiar gesture as the magic the man harnessed began to radiate through them both. Tony could feel it - the tingle in his fingers, a vibration stemming from his toes and crawling through his veins like liquid lightning.

It would've been easy to say it seemed as though it was being drawn out of the earth itself, but all the same, the energy seemed to swarm _around_ them - the earth was simply tethering that energy. His husband's hand felt warm against his own, his physical presence unquestionable and his mental focus bleeding over to Tony.

The energy that coursed through their veins felt natural - it definitely surprised Tony at first to see the light from his rote movements spark and form.

The portal was brilliant, almost an off shade of amber with hints of blue sparks intermingling in the dusty flecks that flew off to the side like a tinted sparkler. The engineer stared at the magnificence - something he found both familiar and astonishingly brand new.

He looked over to Stephen with a look akin to disbelief, a head tilt before the smile formed on his lips. "I actually… did it." He laughed a little. Why was there a need for any sort of disbelief when the action itself had felt like it was second nature?

"You did," Stephen responded with utmost pride, gently tugging Tony along through the portal to Stephen's room even as the cloak whipped past them with ease. "You did indeed. That's pretty sexy, not gonna beat around the bush on that one…" He chuckled softly, kicking out of his shoes and drawing Tony in against his chest to pull him to the bed.

"Mmm so how long do you figure we can keep our hands tied together before we get utterly sick of it all?"

"Is that a challenge I hear in your voice Strange?" Tony was undoubtedly pulled down, he didn't want to put any strain on Stephen's hand so he followed with him, landing overtop of his husband's chest with a hand braced on the bed beside him.

He peered down, chest still hot with the flare of raw feelings, peering down at the man he was hopelessly entwined.

"Give it a day or two… this does only limit us to _a few positions_ in bed I hope you know that for now." He teased softly, leaning down on Stephen's chest. He ran the knuckles of his previously supporting hand over Stephen's cheek.

"I'll admit, sex wasn't my first thought. But that's a valid point worth considering," Stephen chuckled, leaning into the knuckles on his cheek. "But we should see about getting that official marriage thing out of the way so that people don't start questioning why ‘husband' seems to be the most appropriate word to use. And I do have some questions about the whole taking names situation… And we should sort out the living arrangements - especially given as long as we stay tied together like this we'll naturally have to share a bed… and you were talking about flowers…?"

Tony couldn't help but smile as the list of questions was rolled out, he knew they were coming but vocalized - it was even better. "I look forward to our little domestic disputes on this." He snorted softly, his knuckles moved down the side of Stephen's jaw until the tips of his fingers were gently scratching at the bottom of the sorcerer's beard.

"I'll have those documents at the compound within the hour - we can have just about anyone as our witness and make it official. Living wise, well I can't really argue you on the whole Sanctum guardian thing so it looks like you win there." He ran through the list of things Stephen had proposed.

"As for the names, I'd honestly be happy taking yours or having you take mine. I have no preference." He grinned from ear-to-ear as he thought about it.

"We can canvas the compound later for people willing to be witnesses once the papers are ready. We'll need a lawyer for that as well as witnesses. I'm glad we don't have to debate the Sanctum thing, though - that would have been a nuisance." Stephen was thoughtful about the matter, his free hand brushing absently at Tony's hair as he considered various options.

"We could always hyphenate our names. Strange-Stark, Stark-Strange… do you have a preference that way? I feel like from a certain standpoint we're more well known by our individual surnames than anything else, so it might be important to maintain those distinctions, not that I'm opposed to sorting out taking individual names…"

"Stephen you already knew I'd suggest that - plus it's not like I can't just… you know, portal to the compound when I need something. I have to say with abilities like these it's like our places aren't even separate anymore." Tony hummed softly.

"So… does this mean if we hyphenate that my initials will be A.S.S.?" The engineer had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"It suits you perfectly, doesn't it? We should go with that for sure, and you should get those papers started and a lawyer queued up so we can make you legally _my_ ass." Stephen teased in response, leaning to nuzzle at his cheek a bit, hiding his grin there.

"You know, I would have expected that kind of sass from yours truly, but I'll let you have this because I love you." Tony snorted with half indignance and tilted his head into Stephen's nose, rubbing his stubble into the magus' nose.

"Friday -"

"You got it, boss, everything will be in order - when would you like to sign the documents?" Tony stayed quiet, waiting for Stephen to instead answer his A.I.

"Within the next hour. I have a deep yearning to do terribly uncouth things to this man in his suit," Stephen confessed with a sly smile, "but right now we're well dressed for signing some papers anyway. We'll see how long that patience holds..."

"I will let you both know when the lawyer has arrived along with the officiant Doctor."

"Thank you, Friday, you're a darling." Stephen chimed cheerfully, running his free hand over the buttons of Tony's suit with a little click of his tongue.

"And you said I have a mouth on me..." Tony bait and switched so he was pressing his lips to Stephen's nose. "I know we know exactly what the other is feeling… but I still expect you to tell me you love me because I like hearing it." He purred softly.

He pressed their bound hands down, backing Stephen's into the bed. "I'm really good at _testing people's patience._ "

"Luckily for you, patience is something I'm in high supply of. Especially for you. Probably because I _do_ love you more than I can put into words…" Stephen smiled warmly, closing his eyes a little. His tone changed as he spoke again and even someone outside their connection could have recognized that the man had begun a recitation:

"I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times… in life after life, in age after age, forever. My spellbound heart has made and remade the necklace of songs, that you take as a gift, wear around your neck in your many forms, in life after life, in age after age, forever…

"Whenever I hear old chronicles of love, its age-old pain, Its ancient tale of being apart or together. As I stare on and on into the past, in the end you emerge, Clad in the light of a pole-star piercing the darkness of time: You become an image of what is remembered forever.

"You and I have floated here on the stream that brings from the fount. At the heart of time, love of one for another. We have played alongside millions of lovers, shared in the same shy sweetness of meeting, the same distressful tears of farewell - old love but in shapes that renew and renew forever.

"Today it is heaped at your feet, it has found its end in you The love of all man's days both past and forever: Universal joy, universal sorrow, universal life. The memories of all loves merging with this one love of ours - and the songs of every poet past and forever."

His husband's eyes opened once more to look at him, the smile still playing on his lips as he nudged at Tony's nose with his own. "Unending Love by Rabindranath Tagore. It's rather suiting, I think."

Tony stared back blankly at his husband, Stephen knew that the poem had deeply moved him but Tony had simply blanked out as he stared back down at the man beneath him. There was a whirlpool of emotions swirling around within him with turbulence. He couldn't muster up the words to respond quite yet so all Tony could manage was a sharp inhale and a small choked gasp.

"Stephen…" He started, not really knowing to go from there honestly. "That was… beautiful…" The words he could manage to muster before he dove down and buried his head in the sorcerer's neck, his free hand coming to grasp at Stephen's shoulders.

"I swear to god you are too good for me, how did we even manage to make this all work out…?" He choked into the sorcerer's neck.

"A touch of magic. A lot of persistence on your part. A little luck… and a certain helpful cloak giving us some nudges in the right direction…" Stephen provided helpfully, brushing at Tony's hair for a moment before kissing the side of his head. "But I'm not too good for you by any stretch of the imagination. I love you, and given you seem to feel the same I think that means I'm _just right_ for you."

"I think you are everything that I want and need in this lifetime and I couldn't wish for anything more." The engineer spoke softly with a low gravelly voice. "Maybe we aren't good for each other - but we make it work. There's a reason things worked out the way they did, and we had a one in a million chance to make it so, to sync up and fit the pieces of the puzzle in their slots. Everything is as it's supposed to be." He trailed off, nuzzling the bridge of Stephen's nose.

"You think we're not good for each other?" Stephen inquired quietly, pulling back a little to give Tony a clearly confused look. "Odd to propose to someone if that's the case."

"Figuratively." Tony corrected. "I know we are good for each other, and even if we weren't I would have proposed regardless because I love you. Though any doubt stems from the fact of whether you can handle me or not. I tend to be a real handful so I doubt I'm right for anyone in the end." Tony snickered softly.

"Luckily I have more than two hands to handle you with. Maybe not right this second," The sorcerer glanced at their bound hands with a fond smile, "but Levi and I are sort of a package deal. And _we_ are more than capable of handling you and _all_ your inane antics. Especially with the added bonus of being in your head." He added, chuckling softly.

"You're mine now. Like it or not. I'm fairly sure there are no soul-divorces."

Tony's chest flared with that comment of ownership, and Stephen would only be more than fully aware of his reaction to that. It almost seemed like the sorcerer had a much more driven and predatory nature now that they were entangled. That or Stephen was all that more open to roughing around with him now that they were officially a thing.

"You are just as much mine as I am yours - excuse you. You better get used to it because we are both in for the long haul." Tony crossed one of his arms over Stephen's chest and gave him a mock adversarial look. "I wouldn't dream of divorcing you."

"Good. Because I'm desperately in love with you and I can't think of anyone else I'd rather belong to, eternally." Stephen hummed happily.

"Boss, Doctor? The lawyer has arrived at the Avengers Compound. I have managed to collect Ms. Potts and Mr. Rhodes as witnesses, though others seem to have gathered for the occasion."

"I suppose that means it's time to start a new chapter of our lives together officially, hm? Come on then. Let's go make you Anthony Strange-Stark."

The two chuckled amidst each other at Tony's soon-to-be new initials as they straightened out their suits as best they could while still tied together, walking through a portal rather ceremoniously as the cloak billowed behind them, prepared to make up for all the time Antonio and Vien had lost by starting with something as small as a signature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poem from this chapter is "Unending Love" by Rabindranath Tagore.
> 
> Here's the new [_Outtake Chapter_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465832/chapters/45939448) from this, and as a reminder the last chapter is the very end of all this. It's honestly more of an epilogue than anything - nice and short.
> 
> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish. You can find us on Twitter:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy (Foxglove)](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral (Bravehardt)](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


	20. Epilogue

Tony felt like he blinked and an hour had already passed by. Everything thus far had seemed to start picking up in a whirlwind.

The two love-birds had arrived at the compound with a lawyer, Pepper and Rhodey all present along with an officiant to recite their vows. It all felt incredibly surreal given Tony’s usual knack for the flare. It was so out of character, both Rhodey and Pepper had thought this to be some elaborate practical joke. 

First, because Tony was getting married so suddenly and second because there was no pomp or spectacle involved. This entire ordeal was so uncharacteristic of the mogul but Friday had assured them that this was very much happening and they were being asked to be witnesses.

True, Tony had been married to Stephen not an hour before - but making it legally official was the next big step and he simply led Stephen through, curling his fingers into the larger hand his was bound to as they stepped through the portal.

He turned to Stephen with a happy smile. “Ready?”

“To make sure the law can’t dispute how much I love you? Of course. To make sure that no doctor anywhere will dare prevent me from seeing you when your ass eventually ends up hospitalized again? Double yes.” 

Stephen smiled slyly in return, pointedly ignoring the looks that were being dropped to their tied hands as his mind wandered to the third reason: he wasn’t kidding about wanting to tear Tony out of that suit, apparently. 

That was concerning. 

Tony was sentimental about this suit. It just wouldn’t do for the man to tear it! And Stephen seemed to agree to that. Less button tearing, then. More need for dry cleaning it  _ maybe.  _

The devilish smiles they shared were utterly without context for their onlookers as the pair simply approached the table Tony’s lawyer stood behind to look over the papers provided. Tony, used to signing papers as he was, very nearly did so without reading anything leaving Stephen to interject, pointing out a couple of things.

“This should read Strange-Stark. Both of our surnames are linked to our image and this needs to be hyphenated to do that.”

“Strange-Stark? Not Stark-Strange?” Pepper piped up with a curious look, and the lawyer glanced briefly at Tony for affirmation.

“Tony is a strange Stark. I think it’s apt. He hasn’t argued thus far. Either way, the outcome is mostly the same.” Stephen took the moment to look at Tony in question as well though, open to the change if Tony preferred.

“You heard the boss!” Tony nodded to the question directed at him. Half of what he heard was a haze, more-so that he was paying attention to the feelings and thoughts going through Stephen’s head.

It was weird to be able to understand one’s intentions before they were spoken. Tony could quite distinctly pick up on the aura and feelings Stephen had, but it was guesswork what those specific feelings could be categorized as. Generally, he could understand certain emotions much more clearly and vividly than others.

Worry? He could sense it, but to know what Stephen would be worried about would be a guess. In this situation though it was written on Stephen’s face - the anticipation. He knew Stephen was anxious to get this paperwork signing ceremony over with. Right now he was feeling more akin to a piece of meat sitting out on the table in a dog-ridden household, or a limping gazelle out in lion infested territory.

Stephen was ready to jump him the first moment he got, and how or why the sorcerer was pent up was beyond him - one thing was for sure though, it was  _ very mutual _ right now and the feedback of it all was killing him.

Tony’s fingers idly squeezed into Stephen’s palm, he was fidgety, glancing the sorcerer’s way as looks bounced between their witnesses and to the official documents. He was elated and all too happy to be the butt of Stephen’s jokes at the moment, right now was just…  _ perfect _ .

Despite his feelings, Stephen was  _ very _ thorough in going through the paperwork before finally giving a little nod and coming to a realization: the hand he needed for signing was the hand utterly tied up with Tony’s. He’d have to try and sign this with his left - and that was a whole can of worms. Stephen took a long moment and Tony could easily sense the way magic flowed through the sorcerer into his hand to at least alleviate a small amount of the shaking - though never fully gone - and even the physical pain the act brought him as he carefully picked up the pen to carefully sign his name.

Stephen offered the pen to Tony next, and a warm smile with it as the pain and magic both eased away.

Tony took the pen from him, leaning over to sign his name - thankfully with his dominant hand. Though there was some lingering remorse for the sorcerer who had to both sign the paperwork while channelling cosmic energy into his hand to do so and using the less articulate of them.

Tony could simply attempt to squeeze his hand under the twine, any small gesture regardless of how successful it was - the intent and thought were there even if the execution wasn’t. He reflected a bright, warm smile back at Stephen as he felt the soft glow of warmth resonating between their palms. 

Pepper’s name was scrawled neatly and efficiently in the first witness spot and Rhodey was quick to sign his name on the spot beside hers, giving Tony a hefty pat on the shoulder with that, and the lawyer offered a smile and a curt nod as she gathered the papers, checking everything over with a hum.

“Well then, I think that does it. Congratulations to the both of you. You are officially married under the laws of the State of New York.” She smiled cheerfully at the two men, looking thoughtful. “I assume that you don’t want this to make any changes in your company documentation aside from specifically where your personal signature is required, Mr. Strange-Stark?”

“... that’s still going to take getting used to,” Stephen chuckled softly to himself, and Pepper gave a small nod of agreement to that.

“That will do just fine, just the signature is the only change.” Tony nodded to Pepper, she returned a soft smile in response. “I’m just the guy who signs the papers really...” He chuckled softly before he turned to Stephen, crowding into his space with a Cheshire grin.

“You may now kiss the bride,” Tony mumbled softly before leaning in and planting his lips over Stephen’s. His right hand settled on the sorcerer’s hip and he relished in the flow of energy and emotion that wove and channelled through them. New, and something he probably wouldn’t get used to for a while but was quite happy to enjoy every moment of it.

Some quiet catcalling echoed from the back of the room and Stephen tried to suppress a quiet laugh into the kiss, curling an arm around the other’s waist to hold him tight, taking his time and curled his hand into Tony’s suit jacket before bumping the engineer’s nose with his own affectionately.    
  
The room had become more crowded during their signing - the quiet catcall had come from Peter, it seemed, who had immediately realized his mistake and was attempting to hide his embarrassment behind his hands - and as peaceable as it had been for the signing and (mostly) for their ‘first kiss’ it was a boom of noise immediately following as people began to flood in with questions and congratulations. 

Not unlike Pepper and Rhodey, there were a lot of people who couldn’t believe this had happened without any flash and pizzazz, and were wondering about what to do for gifts - someone had volunteered to cook, but whoever had offered was lost in a sea of Avengers so it was hard to say who it was.

The catcall had only served to spur the engineer on and after he was done he leaned up into Stephen’s ear and gently whispered something only the sorcerer could hear.

“You’re a brilliant magician, you think you could do one of those fantastic disappearing acts and get us the hell out of here?” He murmured softly, the tips of his beard pricking the side of Stephen’s face. 

He was chest to chest with his husband, stomach aflutter with a swarm of butterflies at the contact. The drive to indulge Stephen’s inner demands were much more pressing and enticing by the minute. Tony opted for keeping his face hidden against Stephen’s cheek as he huddled up against him and rocked their forms together trying to ignore the growing crowd.

“My hands are a little  _ tied _ on the matter,” Stephen grumbled lowly, holding Tony’s suit jacket a little tighter. “You want to give me an assist? This is going to be an ongoing issue as long as the twine is in place…” 

That didn’t stop him from looking at the crowd that had gathered and offering a mischievous smile. “I think you’ll all have to excuse us. I have rather unspeakable things I need to do to my new husband. As I recall there are some  _ traditions _ to partake in. If you’ll kindly excuse us…?”

There were a couple of awkward coughs and people attempting to shuffle out of the way of the door, but Stephen’s free hand had adjusted to form the portal below them. Tony grinned, amused at the fact that Stephen was now the one throwing out the punches and the perverted comments. He was frankly trying to keep everything kosher while Stephen had no reserves about throwing out some TMI to his fellow coworkers.

Following Stephen’s movements, he began to make the rote motions, a few people giving him some very peculiar looks - they would expect this kind of behaviour from Stephen - but from Tony? The portal began to form at their feet as Tony worked with Stephen’s magic to conjure their gateway out, anticipating the drop once the sparks began to form the portal.

The cloak made sure the ‘drop’ was more of a smooth descent and the portal disappeared immediately once they’d cleared, leaving Stephen to hum happily. 

“I would’ve thought you’d want to celebrate with your friends more. But I’m happy to spend the time with you one on one… After all that though, they’re definitely going to expect a big party. And I should sort out something for your wedding ring, hm.” Stephen allowed for his inner monologue to become verbalized, which was probably for the best. If they got too used to simply sharing thoughts it could easily become confusing for those around them.

Tony somehow ended up on Stephen’s chest, and he didn't mind it. He didn’t bother moving as he stared over at Stephen.

“You know in all the times I’ve ever dated someone - I never would have expected to engage with someone more sexually charged or open-mouthed about it as I am.” The amount of pent up energy and anxiousness wafting off of Stephen was practically palpable - and he likewise felt the same. 

The only difference between the two was Tony’s experience, and he’d use that to tease and prod at Stephen with a figurative hot iron rod.

“You were saying - er, thinking about tearing me out of this outfit? I welcome both outcomes, but if you wanted to keep the outfit in one piece I’d say to undo the buttons first...” The engineer teased softly as he drew circles on Stephen’s chest with a finger.

"I'm tempted to just leave it partially on you and make a mess of you that way..." Stephen chuckled a little, though he had the good graces enough to look mildly embarrassed. "... But I have to admit it’s a bit different now. Between hearing you and feeling you in my everything… and hearing some of Vien… I dunno, I suppose if you were a woman I might’ve spoken with you this way before. 

“I’ve never been exactly  _ shy _ about sex, it’s always just been this complication of sexuality, but it’s not a matter of sexuality anymore - I am what I am. It’s hard to be ashamed of that when you not only accepted me but wanted to keep me as yours… plus I figured you wanted out of there, and I enjoyed the prospect of making everyone else uncomfortable with public declarations of affection for once, rather than being the uncomfortable person…”

“I loved it, every part of it.” Tony slid his hand between the fold of Stephen’s shirt and suit, running his palm over Stephen’s right pec. “It was a side of you I don’t get to see, and I find it sexy as hell.” He trailed off, combing his fingers over the magus’ chest.

“I’m sure whatever you have in store for me is nothing some dry cleaning won’t fix.” The engineer purred softly. His gut stirred with the same carnal ferocity that was bubbling in his partner’s chest.

 

* * *

 

“Looks like you got your wish…” He huffed softly, nodding his head into Stephen’s. “You have… made quite a mess of me.”

Stephen gave something of a breathless laugh as he nudged Tony’s cheek with his nose, planting a soft kiss along his jaw. “This…  _ wasn’t the plan _ . Okay. So this is a thing we apparently have to work on.”

He stayed in his spot for a few more moments before slowly adjusting to lay beside Tony, allowing his arm to drape across his husband as he laid on his side and cuddled in close against the other, without much care for the mess or their suits being an issue. 

Stephen’s eyes trailed over his mussed-up jacket and a pleased smile settled on his face and warmed his chest as he did - the satisfaction was there, then. They’d  _ both _ made a mess of each other… that was fine by him.

“So… what are we going to do about that soul-bonding feedback loop…? Because that’s going to make any fooling around about 80% more challenging, apparently.”

Tony chuckled softly, his free arm wrapped around Stephen’s side and he curled around the man pressed up against him. “Is it really though? One way or another we hit home-base regardless… Maybe we don’t get to do the things we entirely wish for but it just means we might want to take a more gentle approach to this...”

The engineer tucked his face into the side of Stephen’s hair and buried his nose within that mess of strands. He held the sorcerer as tightly as one arm would allow against him, breathing in the man’s earthy scent.

“As far as things go, we’ll just have to deal… Maybe it’s not exactly what we’d anticipated, but it sure reminds me of the first time I ever did anything sexual - how inexperienced I was… kind of like starting from square one again…” Tony nosed his way into Stephen’s hair again, enjoying the moment.

“That’s… reassuring because I definitely have to recognize that while I have a few bits of knowledge, most of them are courtesy of medical training and the memories of a centuries dead druid. And some of yours if I go digging around, I’m sure. So really, starting from scratch on a lot of things.” Stephen rambled quietly, tucked in rather cozily against his husband with a warm wash of affection blanketing him.

“Mmmm, but we should definitely make sure your friends get their big bash. You wanted something like that too, didn’t you?”

“Mmm,” Tony hummed softly, simply making noise to agree with Stephen’s out-loud thinking. 

If he was being quite frank with himself? He’d rather spend the time alone with Stephen - he was dealing not only with the new husband phase, where the love was of course lit like a burning flame - coupled with the new boyfriend phase as well. The engineer was getting the best of both worlds - if not a world passed, he literally had it all right now and popularity or flare be damned, he wanted to spend time with his husband alone!

“I want you all to myself right now, but if we need to make an entrance then so be it.” Tony muffled softly into Stephen’s scalp, squeezing him.

“Oh, not today. Nor any time soon. If we’re doing this… it best be a full celebration. Black tie event. Fireworks. The whole deal. That’ll take some time to prepare.” 

A lot was underlying it that he didn’t speak aloud - wanting to have a celebration that would involve  _ his _ friends as well, wanting to properly be able to introduce their friend groups to one another, wanting to reassure Christine that everything was okay. Wanting to exchange rings properly was a thought milling about in his head as well with various different considerations in mind for a wedding ring for Tony.

“All I heard from that tone of yours is you want me to dress up in a nice suit so you can tear it right off me or dirty it… Which, you know I’m all for. I want to do the exact same to you… Lord knows that the first time didn’t count because I basically gave up halfway.” Tony muttered half ashamed but mostly joking.

He did, in fact, feel a little guilty about not being able to follow through with everything he’d built himself up to be, but whatever - that wouldn’t change how much he loved that man, or how much Stephen loved him either.

“Is that all you heard?” Stephen laughed, shaking his head and pressing a kiss to Tony’s shoulder over his suit jacket. “Then you absolutely missed the part where I want to show you off to everyone I know, and kiss you senseless under the fireworks. I also want to give you a ring. I can’t be the only one with one of these, after all. That would be just silly. And I want to make sure Wong and Christine don’t get on my case about not being invited to an event. Wong for the food, Christine for the actual sentiment of it all - I’ve made her cry a lot of sad tears. I want to make her cry happy tears at least once in my life…”

“I can’t tell if I’m incredibly turned on by the idea of you  _ pulling a me _ or just the fact that you are so determined to show the world that I’m yours. Kind of ironic how we’ve switched perspective on that regards, eh?” He let out a soft breath and smiled.

“I’ll make sure the reception we get can only be described as what dreams are made of.” He purred softly, eyes closing as he brought their hands in between them to cradle them.

“You’re the one who put the idea in my head, dumpling. I can’t help it if it was a good idea.” Stephen responded warmly. “Also we should definitely have momos there, too. Lots of momos…” The sorcerer mused, peeking an eye open for a moment and kissing Tony’s cheek again.

“In any case… a reception can’t be  _ you _ Tony. And for so many figurative and literal reasons… _ you _ are what dreams are made of. My dreams, anyway.”

* * *

**End**

**... or is it?**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! Thank you so much for joining us on the journey that was Time-Lost! This story has been very precious to us, and you've all been so amazingly supportive! It's because of you guys and your love for this story and these characters that we've been in talks about writing a sequel to Time-Lost, "Timeless", that focuses more heavily on Antonio and Vien's story. We have a lot of other projects that are going to be coming first, of course, so don't anticipate it any time soon. 
> 
> We had a vote over on Twitter between a couple of story ideas a little while ago and we're four chapters into writing our next story "Eye For an Eye" as voted for! If you enjoy our writing and want to have input and updates on upcoming things, feel free to follow us on Twitter! The links are below!
> 
> Additionally, we'll be adding a Chapter 21 with some bonus content - some of the art that never made it in, some fanart done for this fic, a list of music that helped inspire us as we wrote, and just a general celebration of you guys! There won't be any further story stuff in it. But you can keep an eye out for that coming up in the next week or so as we get everything formatted and prepped to share. This is where the story ends for now!
> 
> Here's the new [_Outtake Chapter_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465832/chapters/46041664) from this, "Oversensitive" - we hope you enjoy!
> 
> This story was co-written by two authors from start to finish. You can find us on Twitter:
> 
>  
> 
> [Amy (Foxglove)](https://twitter.com/marvelwizardmom)  
> [Astral (Bravehardt)](https://twitter.com/Kraionis)


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